Andrew Willcox (Dawson, Liberal National Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Nationals are a party solely dedicated to rural, remote and regional Australia. We are a party that learns from history, and our history has shown us that our bureaucratic efforts haven't closed the gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander First Nations peoples. Our vulnerable communities have real issues—issues that our Canberra public servants don't live through and have no real understanding of. There need to be frontline, evidence based and place based services to empower our First Nations peoples and their elders while respecting their culture.

When we head to the polls, Australians are going to be asked whether we will support a constitutionally enshrined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice to parliament. Australians have the right, when being asked to vote in a referendum, to have the detail and to know what the consequences are for voting 'yes' or voting 'no'. Prime Minister Albanese has deliberately geared his 'yes' campaign around emotions and virtue-signalling and not the facts. The coalition has asked 15 questions on this Canberra voice, and, to this date, not one of these questions has been answered. Are we not entitled to know exactly what the Voice means to all Australians? Instead, it seems our Prime Minister wants to shame us into voting 'yes' and to make us feel we are racist if we vote 'no'. This is just not the Australian way.

Crucially, a core component that underpins our free democratic society in Australia is that all Australians are equal. In my previous role as Mayor of Whitsunday Regional Council, I had the privilege of conducting many Australian citizenship ceremonies, and part of this role was to explain to the new citizens what the values of being Australian are all about. Australian citizenship is a common bond which unites all Australians whether they're Australia's traditional peoples, first generation migrants or the descendants of early settlers. Our rich heritage stems from the contributions made by all the people who live in our country. After all, we are the melting pot of the world. But enshrining the Canberra voice into our Constitution will do nothing but divide us. Any constitutionally enshrined body based solely on a person's race does not align with our values or principles—and nor should it. Amongst our elected federal representatives, there are 11 Indigenous members, who represent all of their constituents, not just some of them. I, too, was elected to represent all of my constituents, no matter their race, religion or gender, and that is what I will continue to do.

The Australian people want unity. And unity is what they deserve. A government that deliberately creates a racial divide and is deliberately not transparent is not a government that deserves to lead our nation.

For these reasons, I will be voting 'no' to the Canberra voice to parliament. And it's fine for the Australian people to vote 'no'. It's not racist to vote 'no'. And I believe: if you don't know, then vote 'no'.

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