With the defeat of the Voice referendum, ACFP announced the need to continue working towards a Voice for Indigenous Australians, including a right to a Voice in the Constitution.

Why is ACFP a strong advocate for the Indigenous Voice? - Because an Indigenous Voice to both parliament and the government is fully consistent with the Vision for Australia Together. Defeat of the Voice is wholly at odds with the Vision and moves us away from the possibility of making our aspirations for the future a reality by 2050 or sooner.

For full details see this Fact Sheet: How is the Indigenous Voice consistent with the Vision for Australia Together?  The analysis in the Fact Sheet shows that there isn’t a single element of the Vision for Australia Together that wouldn’t be enhanced by establishment of an Indigenous Voice. Broader Australia would also be much better off, with enhanced capacity for:

• peace (both at home and in the wider world),

• climate change mitigation and adaptation,

• cultural harmony, and

• genuine fairness in their democracy.

An Indigenous Voice would unambiguously propel Australia towards the Vision for Australia Together, not away from it. By contrast, a rejection of an Indigenous Voice would do great harm to all Australians. Chief among those negative impacts would be:

• a widening of inequality in Australia and the consequent cost of the health impacts of that;

• a progressive weakening of social cohesion and the security that comes from all groups living harmoniously together;

• a loss of the respect of international communities and the attendant economic costs of that;

• a subscription to cruelty instead of compassion and injustice instead of fairness; and

• a reinforcement of the racist clauses of Australia's Constitution, clauses which are discriminatory and which heavily disadvantage Indigenous Australians.

ACFP will also continue to advocate just as strongly for all Australians to have a Voice to Parliament. For more information see The People's Constitution: the path to empowerment of Australians in a 21st century democracy.