Vote ‘Yes’ to change the country for the better, PM says

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Anthony Albanese joined ACT chief minister Andrew Barr at the weekend to take the referendum’s positive message to other parts of the country.

The prime minister announced the October 14 referendum date in Adelaide last week.

At an event in Woden kicking off the launch of the ‘Yes’ campaign across Australia, the PM said the Voice referendum would be won by one-on-one conversations with everyday people.

“[It’s a] pretty modest change, asking for recognition, asking as well for an advisory group, a Voice, so we can listen to people,” Albanese said.

“That’s how you get better results. That’s what this campaign is about.”

“Together, we can make this greatest country of all, just that little bit greater.”

Women, finance and public service minister Katy Gallagher, assistant minister for competition, charities, Treasury and employment Andrew Leigh, and MPs Alicia Payne and independent senator David Pocock also attended the event.

The PM added that since the referendum date was announced, supporters for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament from the political spectrum, including Liberal politicians Julian Leeser and Bridget Archer with other crossbenchers, were confidently backing the constitutional change.

“Social change requires people to be convinced,” Albanese said.

“I’m very confident that we can convince people over the next six weeks from today, now, and it’s important that people have conversations in their workplace, outside the school grounds, certainly the kids in school know about it,” he said.

Chief minister Barr said there was strong support for the ‘Yes’ case in Canberra and his personal goal was to see the ACT achieve tens of thousands of Yes votes to add to the national tally.

“We hope [a ‘Yes’ referendum outcome] will be a really strong national result,” Barr said.

“We’re also going to help across the border in New South Wales — that’s what Canberrans always do.

“We love our friends in New South Wales, and we want to support the campaign right across the country.”

Barr thanked the many helpers and volunteers who were backing the local campaign and said the diversity of people joining the ‘Yes’ campaign reflected it was a broad-based community movement

“Thank you so much in advance for what I know you’re going to contribute over the next six weeks. It’s an amazing opportunity to make our country an even better place,” Barr said.

Albanese also addressed the fear and information campaigns being driven by campaigners for the ‘No’ side. These tactical efforts were nothing new — all of Australia’s past referendums saw similar ploys, as did major movements advocating for Indigenous rights, he said.

“The fear campaigns … were there about the Apology to Stolen Generations, about Mabo, about Native Title, about marriage equality, about all of these issues,” the PM said.

“We’re all enriched [by the] Welcome to Countries … it just lifts people up and enriches people as well, that acknowledgement of the great privilege we have from sharing this continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth,” he said.

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