The Yes Campaign for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament has launched a new advert as part of a major television blitz ahead of the referendum.
The 30-second commercial features a young Indigenous boy asking Australians to consider a series of simple questions about his future.
‘Will I grow up in a country that hears my voice? Will I live as long as other Australians?’ the little boy asks.
‘Can I go to a good school? Will I be able to learn the language of my people? Will I be seen outside the sports field, recognized by the decision makers of our country?
‘Yes makes it possible.’
With Parliament sitting for the final time before the referendum, Yes campaign insiders believe this is the perfect opportunity to remind Australians that this is not a political issue.
The 30-second commercial features a young Indigenous boy asking Australians to consider a series of simple questions about his future
With Parliament sitting for the final time before the referendum, campaign insiders believe this is the perfect opportunity to remind Australians that this is not a political issue.
Despite declining support in the polls indicating every state is leaning towards a No vote, the campaign is still confident it can secure a victory, relying on ‘soft’ No voters and Australians still feeling did not participate in the debate.
Soft No voters will be targeted over the next four weeks, and there will be a concerted effort to educate members of the public who have not yet participated in the discussion.
While the Yes23 campaign has been active on social media and has rolled out ads in the past, they are significantly ramping up efforts between now and the referendum.
It’s a change of pace for the campaign, which initially favored celebrity endorsements before shifting to sharing the stories of everyday people.
The advert runs alongside Uluru Dialogue’s successful You’re the Voice advert featuring John Farnham’s famous song.
Campaign director Dean Parkin says the advert is a powerful reminder of what the Voice to Parliament will be capable of.
He asks: ‘Can I go to a good school? Will I be able to learn the language of my people? Will I be seen outside the sports field, recognized by the decision makers of our country?
The advert runs alongside Uluru Dialogue’s successful You’re the Voice advert featuring John Farnham’s famous song
“This ad explains to Australians why a successful Yes vote is the best chance we have to tackle the entrenched disadvantage that Indigenous people live with,” Mr Parkin said.
“Hope and optimism that the nation can finally come together and make Australia a better, fairer country remains at the heart of the Yes campaign.”
Mr Parkin and the Yes23 campaign hope the ad will help Australians understand that the Voice as an advisory body wants to “better address long-standing issues”.
The little boy asks questions that cover the intended scope of the Voice, as first explained by Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney: health, education, employment and housing.
Ms Burney says the advisory body will be ‘full steam ahead’ from day one and will not limit itself to advising on these four focus areas.
‘Unlike the government, it will not be distracted by the three-year election cycles. It will plan for the next generation, not the next term. It will focus on creating a better future for the next generation,” she said in July.
Ms Burney has pledged to work closely with the Voice body in her role as minister, and will ask whether it helps ‘solve the most pressing problems’.
“When I meet the Voice for the first time, I will say, bring me your ideas on how we can prevent our people from committing suicide,” she said.
The percentage of Australians in favor of the referendum has fallen for the fifth month in a row and since the last survey Victoria has swung to a majority No, leaving Tasmania as the only state left in the Yes camp
“Give me your ideas about how we can help our children go to school and thrive. Bring me your ideas on how we can ensure that our crowd lives strong and healthy lives. How we get more people into jobs – with the independence and purpose that brings.
‘How we strengthen culture and language. How we can better support families. How we keep our 65,000 years of culture alive and stronger.’
Ms Burney said she hopes a voice to parliament will focus on the “systemic and structural disadvantage” of Indigenous Australians in a speech to the National Press Club in July.
She referenced the Closing the Gap statistics that show how First Nations people face higher incarceration rates and a greater chance of dying younger.
Mr Parkin said: ‘We highlight how giving Parliament a voice is a simple and practical way to improve outcomes in areas such as Indigenous life expectancy, health, education and employment.’
“Indigenous Australians have asked all Australians to listen to them on how to solve the issues they face in their communities. This is exactly what a Voice will do.”
The advert will be rolled out this weekend across TV, print, radio and Yes23’s digital channels.
For the referendum to be successful, a majority of Australians must vote ‘Yes’ in a majority of states. Support for the Yes cause has fallen from over 60 percent to 40 percent or even below, partly due to comments from those behind the Voice to Parliament and the Uluru Statement of the Heart.
The Resolve Political Monitor’s latest survey found that 43 percent of voters supported a plan to enshrine the Vote in the Constitution, a decline of 20 percentage points from a year ago.