Responding to a series of questions from the Law Society Journal, Mark explains why constitutional recognition is important, how the Voice would make a difference to Indigenous people and why some Australians still have doubts about the proposal.
On the first question, Mark believes there are two main reasons we should recognise Australia’s First Peoples in the Constitution: “Firstly, we are privileged as Australians that our history encompasses the most ancient, enduring culture on earth. Surely our founding document should recognise and celebrate this richness. The other main reason is that, while Australians of today are not responsible for past wrongs, we are responsible for recognising the impact of intergenerational trauma and for supporting Indigenous fellow citizens to heal from this trauma so that it doesn’t negatively impact generations to come.”
He sees a huge potential upside in a successful referendum, explaining that: “The main lesson governments, businesses and non-profit organisations have learned from decades of policy failure in working to improve the circumstances and life opportunities of Indigenous Australians is the imperative of working in close, respectful partnership.”
And Mark believes the main reason so many people are still unsure about how they should vote in the referendum is understandable confusion stemming from “the deluge of misinformation, in many cases deliberate, seeded by those who oppose the Voice for ideological reasons”.
The LSJ is planning a series of articles on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
To read the Q&A with Mark, click here.
