Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: First I’d like to say something about the Matildas. Obviously, I know they were disappointed by the result last night, but I want to say this; you played some extraordinary football through this World Cup. And along the way you changed our country. You changed our country. And when you see young kids around this country, boys and girls, chanting for Sam Kerr, or Ellie Carpenter, for Hayley, and of course, Mackenzie Arnold – who could forget – it tells you something about how what the Matildas did, changed our country for the better. So, I want to thank the Matildas personally, and I’m sure I reflect the thanks and good wishes and congratulations, of all Australians. You made us so proud. We’re so proud of you.
But I’m here today with Noel Pearson, who is really one of Australia’s great leaders. I remember watching you when I was a lot younger, and I thought ‘wow, he’s a great speaker’, many decades ago. And we’re here at the Gurdwara to talk about the Voice. And I want to say this; people from across Australia, people from all faiths, people from all communities are embracing the Voice. You’ll hear a lot through this campaign. A lot of things which aren’t true. A lot of things that others will say about what the Voice is, and isn’t. But do you know what it really is about? The Voice is about recognition. The Voice is about listening. And the Voice is about better outcomes. That’s what the Voice is about. And we have an opportunity to bring this country together. And we can do that, if we get out and campaign and we talk to people just as Noel and I are doing today. I’m happy to take questions. But first, I’ll hand over to Noel Pearson.
Noel Pearson: Thank you Penny. And I’ve been so very pleased to have been invited here to the temple. These are the Australians I want to talk to, uphill and down dale over the coming weeks. This is such an important vote. And I’m so very pleased the Prime Minister has set this referendum up for the Australian people to vote and to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution. And the words are ‘as the First Peoples of Australia’. I think those very simple words are so, so beautiful and so profound. And we’re going to have a chance to say yes to those words. They’re going to be so important for our children to hear, in the future. To read the Constitution and come across this section that talks about recognition of the First Peoples of Australia. Can I say recognition is really a mirror. When you look in the mirror, you’ll see yourself. And I think Australians will see themselves when they do this. We’ll see each other and we’ll see ourselves. And what we will see is a reconciled country that has this great multicultural unity that we’ve achieved, as you can see at this Sikh temple this morning. You’ll recognise our British democracy contained in the Constitution. And for the first we’re going to complete the country by recognising the First Peoples, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. All Australians, from all backgrounds, will see each other as Australians. This is going to be good for Aboriginal people, but it’s going to be good for the whole country. Because finally we’re going to complete the Commonwealth of Australia. And those three parts of our story will become one. The Indigenous story, the British democracy story of our Constitution, and the great multicultural unity that we’ve achieved in this nation. So, South Australia is so important, and I’m so very pleased to be here with Penny, because we’re going to leave no stone unturned in this campaign. We’re going to go into every community, we’re going to urge the enormous opportunity onto all South Australians and all Australians. Thank you.
Journalist: Senator, I guess the first question on this topic is the ‘No’ campaign has officially launched in WA today. Their, I guess, their platform for their campaign is that this referendum will divide not unite. What’s your response?
Foreign Minister: I just think that’s not true. And really Noel articulated it far better than I. This is about bringing Australia together. The recognition of First Nations people in our constitution does complete the three stories, the three storylines of Australia, of who Australia is – our First Nations people, our British heritage, and the many migrants have come to this country, including me and many here, who contribute to this multicultural character that is Australia.
What is there to fear? That’s what I’d say to the people who are advocating no. What have you got to be frightened of? To recognise our First Peoples and to ensure they can have their say, so we can get better outcomes. What is there to fear?
Journalist: And Senator, the ‘No’ campaign also says big companies like Wesfarmers should not be funding the ‘Yes’ campaign and instead funding programs that directly help indigenous people…
Foreign Minister: Well you can do both. I think that’s one of those false choices that people put on the table because they don’t actually want to talk about what they’re saying, which is they are saying, we don’t want to recognise and we don’t want to have to listen to people. We have to do both. Feel free to jump in.
Noel Pearson: And they are. They are doing initiatives to engage Indigenous people in employment and in business opportunities, and so on. The companies that are signing up to the ‘Yes’ campaign are companies that have been doing this for a long time, helping indigenous people to develop economically, with employment and other opportunities. That they are supporting the ‘Yes’ campaign is at the invitation of our people. We want them to help us. We are 3% of the population. We need the 97% to support us. And you know, our vote is not going to be all that decisive. But it’s the 97% of the vote that we need. And all of the migrants, Australian communities, all of this fantastic multiculture that we have. We’re relying on them. We need them. They’re the numbers. They’re the people who Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are calling upon to show the friendship and unity that we need to make this a success.
Journalist: Senator, Warren Mundine says in the last 12 months, he’s never witnessed so much racial abuse in Australia, accusing the Prime Minister of allowing this to happen. Does the Government have to take responsibility for the increase in such abuse?
Foreign Minister: The Prime Minister, and our Government, was asked by leaders, communities, First Nations communities to put this referendum forward because it is something that they have sought for the reasons that Noel so powerfully articulated. Some of this debate has been very challenging. Those who bear responsibility for that, are those who take the debate there. I’ve always believed that we can speak to the goodwill of the Australian people. Australians are a fair people. We’re a decent society. A fair go for all. And I think that’s what this is about.
Journalist: And have you heard of such abuse rising since the referendum debate began?
Foreign Minister: I think you see those who engage in this, who don’t want to see recognition. But I’m not interested in them. I’m interested in the broader community. And I’m interested in what First Nations representatives have said to us. Remember, eight out of ten Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support this. We have been invited to do this, through a process that was open and democratic and consultative and resulted in the Uluru Statement. An invitation. And I’m here with Noel to speak to this community, and we’ll keep speaking to many communities to say, let’s take up this gracious invitation. Thank you.
