The government has announced that Australians will vote on Saturday 14 October in the referendum to change the Constitution to recognise Australia’s First Peoples by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice as an independent and permanent advisory body.

I will vote YES. The Voice provides a landmark opportunity to formally acknowledge the country’s history before European settlement, the impact settlement has had on First Nations people and land, and move forward in a way that ensures First Nations people can contribute to decisions that affect them.

I encourage everyone to learn more about the Voice and look into claims that sound dubious.

Legal experts from the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law and the Indigenous Law Centre have reviewed and fact-checked the claims made in the official “yes” and “no” referendum cases. While they assessed the claims made to support the “yes” case as accurate, the claims made to support the “no” case were found to be largely misleading, with many ignoring contrary facts and history. Read the summary on The Conversation > HERE.

The ABC has a page of FAQs about the vote > HERE.

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre has online information sessions where their lawyers will explain the proposal and answer questions > HERE.

The Australian Electoral Commission will manage the vote and count, and set rules for polling places plus early, postal and other voting options > HERE. Check your electoral enrolment is up to date > HERE.

Volunteer and/or donate to support the YES campaign > HERE.

This may be a distressing time for First Nations people, who may be subject to further abuse and discrimination. Please look out for them and check Anti-Discrimination NSW’s website for resilience ideas > HERE