Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Australia is one of the best countries of the world. I'm grateful for the opportunities that Australia has given me, as the child of migrants. But we know that not all Australians are getting the same opportunities—particularly our First Australians. If I'd been born an Aboriginal woman, my child would be more likely to die during childbirth, my son would be more likely to go to prison than to university, and my life expectancy would be eight years less.

The current system is not working, because Australia has been making assumptions about what Indigenous Australians need, and doing things to them, not with them. That's why Indigenous Australians asked for a Voice, and that's why my Swan community has stepped up and is volunteering for the 'yes' campaign.

Many Australians are still unsure on how they will vote, but I know that Australians care about a fair go and step up in crises. So, when Australians find out the facts, I am confident that they will vote 'yes'. But it's the conversations that will matter. Every conversation with a family member, friend or colleague, every phone call and every doorknock will make a difference. This is why I'm asking everyone here to step up and volunteer at yes23.com.au. We need this because we need to cut through the disinformation and misinformation of the 'no' campaign. In the same way that those in WA saw through Clive Palmer's scare campaign, I'm confident that they will see through the disinformation. But we need conversations to do this. (Time expired)