Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Senator Smith is right. The call for constitutional recognition through a voice didn't come from politicians. Indigenous Australians have asked us to help make a practical change and to create a better future for all Australians. In 2017, after many years of work and countless conversations in every part of the country, nearly 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders and elders called for a voice. It was an invitation to help make a practical change to their lives and to create better opportunities for future generations, and it is backed by 80 per cent, eight out of 10, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Aunty Pat Anderson, a respected Indigenous advocate and elder, says this about the Voice:

When you involve people, you make better decisions and the money you spend goes where it's needed most: to the people on the ground.

That is what a 'yes' vote will do. It will give people a say on issues that affect them and make a practical difference that improves lives.