Voice to Parliament: Liberal senator Sarah Henderson hosts ‘No’ forum

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson hosted a forum at the Geelong West Town Hall on Thursday night asking residents to vote against a Voice to Parliament, just days after Geelong council's own event.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson, left, hosted a forum at the Geelong West Town Hall with guest speaker Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO, right, urging residents to vote against a Voice to Parliament, just days after a ‘Yes’ event.

Liberal senator Sarah Henderson on Thursday hosted a forum at the Geelong West Town Hall, arguing the Voice was “not the answer” to help Indigenous Australians in disadvantaged communities.

Ms Henderson said in June she would vote against a Voice to Parliament, raising concerns about the legal implications if the proposal was adopted, and has since become a vocal member of the ‘No’ campaign.

Ms Henderson’s forum follows a forum at Geelong Library and Heritage Centre on Saturday.

Corio MP Richard Marles and Corangamite MP Libby Coker attended the event along with local First Nations leaders, and urged the community to vote yes to a Voice to Parliament at the upcoming referendum.

Speaking to media before the event, Ms Henderson said the Voice represented “significant constitutional risks” and accused the federal government of a lack of transparency.

“The Voice is legally risky, with unknown consequences,” Ms Henderson said.

The Liberal senator also raised concerns about corporations spruiking one side of the issue, without investing in Indigenous issues.

Qantas chief-executive Alan Joyce announced the company’s support of the ‘Yes’ vote, providing travel for Yes23 campaigners and the Uluru Dialogue teams.

Ms Henderson was joined by guest speaker Nyunggai Warren Mundine, a businessman a former policitian

Mr Mundine labelled the Yes campaign as “arrogant” and said he wanted to have a “conversation” with ordinary Australians.

“I’m going to go out and talk to the people, I’m going to have a conversation with the people and once they hear our side and they’ve heard the yes side, they can go off and vote any way they like,” he said.

Ms Henderson’s forum took place across the road from the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Operative’s Geelong West building.

The co-operative’s chief executive, Simon Flagg, urged the community to vote yes at Saturday’s forum and described the referendum as a “sliding doors” moment.

Mr Flagg said the Voice would allow First Nations people to have a greater say in improving their communities.

“We know what works, we know what doesn’t. So we’re asking for our voice to be elevated to the top of the decision making,” he said.

Originally published as Voice to Parliament: Liberal senator Sarah Henderson hosts ‘No’ forum