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Newcastle Herald
Newcastle Herald
Sage Swinton

What Albo thinks of negative response to Voice survey

Anthony Albanese in Muswellbrook with Hunter MP Dan Repacholi and Muswellbrook mayor Steve Reynolds. Picture by Peter Lorimer

The Prime Minister believes "people will focus on the question" when it comes time to vote on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament in response to recent polling showed low regional and rural support for the voice.

Anthony Albanese was asked during his visit to Muswellbrook about an ACM poll of 10,000 rural and regional people which showed 38 per cent of people surveyed in June supported the establishment of the Voice, compared to 55 per cent who said they expected to vote "no".

"I think people will focus on the question that is actually before the Australian people," he said in response. "It's a simple proposition."

Mr Albanese said recognising First Nations people in the constitution "won't take away anything from Australia, it will just add to it".

"If you're a young indigenous male, you are more likely to go to jail than to go to university," he said.

"We have worse infant mortality rights. We have worse health outcomes. We have worse housing outcomes. We have four out of the 19 Closing the Gap targets are currently being met.

"We need to do better. If Australia votes No, that is saying that we will keep doing things the same way.

"If you keep doing things the same way you should expect the same results."

The Australian Electoral Commission published the pamphlets for the Yes and No campaigns on July 18.

Mr Albanese said First Nations people including Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Jonathan Thurston and Eddie Betts had provided words for the Yes pamphlet.

"From these Indigenous Australians, just asking to be recognised and asking to be listened to, not as the end in itself, but as a means to an end," he said.

"If you listen to people about something that directly affects them, you'll get better outcomes.

"And that is what this referendum is about. It's not about anything else.

"We know that you get better outcomes when you listen. You can see that with justice reinvestment in places like Moree and Bourke, that were put in place by the former coalition government. You see it in areas of community health. You see it in the Indigenous Rangers program.

"You'll get better results if you listen, if you engage."

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