Message from the Vice-Chancellor: Voice to Parliament Referendum
Monday, 04 September 2023
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Professor Steve Chapman CBE, Vice-Chancellor, ECU
Kaya
Today Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that Saturday 14 October 2023 is the date Australians will have their say in a referendum to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.
This will be a defining moment for Australia, allowing us to collectively make an important decision that will shape our future and identity as a nation.
In alignment with our values, it is up to all of us to exercise our voting rights with the utmost integrity and responsibility. I encourage each of you to engage in credible information to better understand the issues around the referendum, so you are equipped to decide how to vote.
ECU’s Voice to Parliament webpage brings together a range of resources to provide people with an overview on the Voice to Parliament and the history of advocacy from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for such a forum, constitutional implications and the potential impact of self-determination, as well as information on how a referendum works.
We know that the ongoing national discourse around the Voice has a significant impact on our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students. We have created resources to guide non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with how they can show genuine allyship and leadership through conversation and actions.
ECU proudly advocates for a Yes vote to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution through the enshrining of a Voice to Parliament.
“If you don’t know, vote no” does not align with our value of rational inquiry. I encourage each of you to learn about the Voice to Parliament and the proposed constitutional change so you are informed when participating in the referendum and so you can contribute to a respectful and informed national conversation.
Professor Steve Chapman CBE
Vice-Chancellor
30 August 2023