Today host Brooke Boney delivers message to Aboriginal Voice to Parliament No voters

A native TV star has spoken out about her views on Anthony Albanese’s proposed vote to parliament, declaring that a ‘no’ vote in the upcoming referendum would be ‘quite damaging’.

Channel Nine Today presenter Brooke Boney shared her thoughts on the proposal for an Aboriginal advisory body – which every Australian will vote on in a referendum later this year – in an essay published on Thursday.

Speaking to people considering voting no in the upcoming referendum, including native voters, Ms Boney said: ‘It’s okay if people want to vote no, but I hope those people have a plan to improve the situation if the referendum fails. ‘

Written in the piece for the Nine web sites Ms. Boney acknowledged that some Indigenous people wanted to vote no.

“Their argument is that they don’t want to be documented or part of a system that has been oppressing Aboriginal people for a few hundred years.

“They ask why this should be any different and why they should rely on a system that has let us down so many times.”

Ms Boney said this cohort ‘has every right to feel let down and ignored because it has been that way too often and for too long’.

But she urged those in the No camp – whether indigenous or not – to “gather as much information as possible” and “look at how we’ve done things in the past and then decide if you think that we can do better’.

Ms Boney added that ‘we have to be realistic about how far-reaching the impact a no result would be on our country’.

That was in comparison to how “joyful” it would have felt for her grandparents after the 1967 referendum, in which Australians overwhelmingly voted to amend the constitution so that the Commonwealth could legislate for Aboriginal people and include them in the census .

Her piece comes after Secretary of State Linda Burney’s National Press Club address on Wednesday, where she shared a pointed message to those considering No.

Ms Boney (pictured left with her mother) said: ‘we have to be realistic about how far-reaching the impact a no result would be on our country’

Anthony Albanese with Voice Advocates at a media conference following the passing of laws enabling the referendum later this year

“The No campaign… is importing Trump-style politics to Australia. The goal is to polarize, to divide our society by making false claims,” ​​she said.

Don’t let the No campaign get away with Trump-like politics. Don’t let them divide us.’

Ms. Burney’s comments deviated from the script of her prepared remarks, which focused on specific examples of how the vote would work.

On Sunday, more than 25 rallies were held across the country as the ‘Yes’ campaign stepped up its message, led by organizing group Yes23.

While the date of the referendum has yet to be confirmed, it is expected that Australians will be asked to vote to amend the constitution to recognize Indigenous Australians by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice before the end of the year.

According to the latest Newspoll conducted for The Australian, support for the ‘Yes’ vote has fallen to 43 percent, while support for the ‘No’ vote has increased by four points to 47 percent.

The poll was the first time that opponents of The Voice polled stronger than supporters of the referendum.

A referendum needs a mandate from the majority of the people in the majority of states to pass.