With the Prime Minister yesterday setting October 14 as the date for the referendum, more West Australians will now be turning their mind to the question of the Voice to Parliament.
I encourage you to think about the Voice as an investment in our country’s future.
It’s clear every time I visit WA, including this week, that this great State has been built on investment.
People here understand that for both government and business, getting value for money involves planning ahead and ensuring local communities are heard.
In many ways that’s what the Voice seeks to do, too.
The Voice is about recognition and listening, and will mean that the billions of dollars that governments invest in programs are better able to deliver outcomes that improve lives.
By listening to First Nations communities, the Voice will help ensure money gets to the communities where it will have the most impact and deliver the best outcomes in areas like Indigenous health, education, employment and housing.
In this way, the referendum doesn’t — as some would have us believe — require a choice between pragmatism and principles.
What works and what’s right are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they can reinforce each other through the Voice.
It’s clear from the latest Closing the Gap data that despite the best intentions of many, the current approach isn’t working.
Just four out of 19 targets in framework are listed as “on track”.
We’re behind on delivering a sustained reduction in suicide.
We’re behind on outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
And we’re behind on our targets to reduce the rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults held in custody.
Government investments, while substantial, are not delivering the outcomes Indigenous Australians need and deserve.
If we’re going to shift the dial on Closing the Gap and get better value for our investments, we’ve got to do something different.
There remains a significant disconnect between policy design and realities on the ground.
This was highlighted in a report from the Productivity Commission in July that showed how the top-down, business-as-usual approach wasn’t working.
The PC concluded we need to consult, involve and empower First Nations people to deliver solutions which they know will have a real impact in their communities.
The Voice will help shift the approach from top-down mandates to grassroots solutions.
Rooted in listening and mutual respect, the Voice will inform a blueprint for ensuring that our investments are targeted, effective, and meaningful.
In doing so, it will help ensure that what we invest leads to tangible improvements to the lives of our fellow Australians, maximising the impact of the funds spent on Closing the Gap.
We know we can do better.
Now is the time to act.
By voting “yes” for the Voice, we are not merely casting a ballot. We’re affirming our commitment to an Australia that is principled in its actions and pragmatic in its solutions. This is our chance to redefine how investments are made and, more importantly, how their impacts are felt.
Now is the time to ensure our investments create ripples of change. Now is the time to amplify the Voice.
We all want to see more Indigenous communities thrive with more young people finishing school, finding work and achieving their dreams.
Ultimately, the Voice is about helping more Australians share in the fair go.
Voting yes for the Voice is a simple act and a sensible change that will deliver better outcomes for all our people, all our communities and all of our country.
The Hon Jim Chalmers is the Treasurer and the Federal member for Rankin.