Alfie Walker laments what he describes as "misinformation" about the Voice referendum.
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Speaking at the start of NAIDOC Week, the Wiradjuri man and former Goulburn Mulwaree Council deputy mayor said the referendum, designed to give First Nations people a voice to parliament, was a "good start."
"I think it is about a mechanism or a process and unfortunately a lot of things are being brought into it that really miss the mark on what the voice to parliament is," he said.
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The cultural awareness facilitator argued that almost every government had established bodies to provide advice on First Nations issues. When government or leaders changed, these were often dissolved and new ones set up.
Mr Walker said if successful, the referendum would result in a permanent voice to parliament, that was enshrined in the constitution.
"The government can decide to take that advice or not. It's really their prerogative," he said.
While saying recognition for First Nations people in the constitution was "overdue," his views on the best mechanism were mixed.
In 2014, Mr Walker travelled to the US and Canada as part of a United Nations Development Program. In northern Quebec he saw firsthand how the James Bay agreement worked between the indigenous Cree people and government. It was essentially a treaty.
"There is merit in Australia for a Voice to Parliament but there's also the conversation of treaty that my community and people have been having forever," he said.
"...I saw in Canada how that relationship influenced the community and how treaty had been working. I think there's an opportunity for that discussion but the Voice is a start."
Mr Walker said regardless of people's views, there was a need for more information on October's proposed referendum. "Simplistic communication" that cut through "misinformation" on social media needed to be aimed at the "everyday person."
He maintained the debate had assumed some volatility, which made it challenging for Aboriginal elders and others who were trying to understand the process.
As for which way the referendum would go, Mr Walker said it was hard to predict.
"There's a lot of misinformation and angst out there so I'm not too sure. I'd love to see more information out there," he said.
It appears he's not the only one. Australian Community Media, this masthead's publisher, polled 10,131 people between June 16 and June 26. It revealed that only 28 per cent of respondents thought the federal government had done a good job of explaining the Voice to people.
More people in the regions (73pc) than metropolitan areas (68pc) were more likely to say the government hadn't explained the referendum.
The same poll found that the 'yes' vote was falling in rural and regional Australia.
The overall 'no' vote was 55 per cent against 38 per cent for 'yes' and seven per cent undecided.
But in the regions, the 'no' vote was 57 per cent and the 'yes' vote was 35 per cent, with eight per cent undecided.
The voice to parliament will be able to advise parliament and the government on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
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