Why I am spending 20 hours a week on top of my full-time job to campaign Yes for the Voice – even though polls show No is on track for victory

A Torres Strait Islander man who, in addition to his full-time job, campaigns 20 hours a week for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, insists the feeling on the ground defies opinion polls predicting a No win.

Gav Harris, who lives in Sydney’s west, is desperately hoping Australians will support enshrining the proposed Indigenous advisory body into the constitution during the October 14 referendum.

The polls predict a crushing defeat, the latest Newspoll has support of just 36 percent and Resolve has support of 43 percent, but Gav thinks it’s too early to say who will win.

Gav says many voters are indecisive or indifferent and that “there is a lot more support than negative feedback.”

The referendum turned Gav’s life upside down. He volunteers up to 20 hours a week, on top of his full-time job and family commitments.

It’s an exhausting task, but absolutely necessary for Gav.

“It’s about waking up after the referendum, win or lose, and knowing you’ve done everything you could,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

“When I ask myself, ‘could you have done better?’, ‘did you do enough?’, I know I did everything I could.”

Gav said a no vote would be a devastating outcome for him and for Australia, but his conscience would be clear knowing he did everything he could.

The grandfather said that a Vote would probably make very little difference to his own personal situation, but that it could be a wonderful thing in the lives of his grandchildren, nieces and nephews in the future.

The official Yes23 campaign has 37,000 volunteers spread across the country. They do letterboxing, speak to commuters at train stations and at the door.

Gav is focusing on his slice of western Sydney, campaigning in areas such as Toongabbie, Pendle Hill, Parramatta and Westmead.

He sets his alarm for 5 a.m. every day so he has a few hours free before going to work.

Some days he goes outside again after work.

He likes to be home and cook food when possible, but his family understands his involvement in the referendum.

They hold no grudges if he gets stuck on the road for longer than he expected.

“It’s just one of those things. We had a family meeting before this all got out of hand… It’s important to know when it’s time to rest, but it’s only for a limited time and we all know that.”

That’s not to say Gav misses important moments. He has mastered the art of juggling his obligations.

‘Last weekend was my granddaughter’s baptism. “I didn’t miss that, but I was still able to have a conversation about the referendum, I was able to do some letterboxing in the morning and evening,” he said.

To avoid completely burning out, Gav has a strict bedtime of 10 p.m.

Support for The Voice is plummeting in the official polls.

Just over a third of Australians (36 percent) say they will vote ‘Yes’ to the Voice to Parliament, according to the Newspoll survey of 1,239 voters.

It marks a drop of two points in the past three weeks – the lowest level yet for the beleaguered Yes campaign.

Meanwhile, opposition to the historic referendum has risen slightly to 56 percent, with less than three weeks until election day.

The shift to No is visible across most age groups and demographics. The biggest shift is among women and younger voters, who used to be The Voice’s biggest supporters.

But Gav says this doesn’t reflect the conversations he and his fellow volunteers are having on the ground.

In western Sydney, Gav notices that there is a lot of enthusiasm for the proposal.

‘People will say they are already voting ‘Yes’, or they will smile and honk from their cars. “I would say there is a lot more support than negative feedback,” he said.

But another common reaction is simply confusion or a lack of interest.

“The number of undecided votes is still enormous,” he said. “People are still not involved.”

These are the people who, according to the Yes23 campaign, are the key to turning the tide.

While cost of living pressures and other factors remain at the forefront of the minds of ordinary Aussies, as the referendum date approaches, people will inevitably start asking more questions.

“And my job is to find the answers and deliver that message,” says Gav.

“On Indigenous issues, the Voice is a real turning point for this country. It’s a great moment for Australia.

‘You receive consistent advice for programs, the expenditure is targeted. It’s going to save money in the long run.”

But Gav accepts the referendum and the proposal could have been better managed to better reassure the community.

He criticized the coalition for failing to provide bipartisan support for the Stem, noting that it was the Liberal National government that commissioned the Calma-Langton report, which provides an explanation for how the Stem works in practice could work.

“The original spirit of the Voice has been a little deflated… It definitely could have been better, so that’s a little disappointing.”