Let’s vote Yes on 14 October
On Wednesday in Adelaide Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the date of the Voice to Parliament referendum to be 14 October. This means six more weeks of public debate that will impact the social and emotional wellbeing and mental health of First Nations Australians.
It is time that we stand together, and use our vote to say Yes to recognition, listening, and better results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
As Prime Minister Albanese said on Wednesday, “[A Yes vote will be] A way for all of us to recognise Indigenous Australians and their history in our Constitution and a form of recognition that will importantly make a positive difference to their lives and their futures. A practical way of dealing with issues that, despite all the good intentions in this world, no Australian Government has been able to get right before.”
As advocates for mental health, we recognise that when we listen to people about the decisions that affect them, we get better results. For the past 250 years, we haven’t properly listened to the people who have been here for 65,000 years. It’s time we did.
Mental Health Australia’s 2022 Report to the Nation showed that First Nations Australians see their own mental health as significantly lower on average than other Australians. Indigenous Australians are more than twice as likely to experience psychological distress than non-Indigenous Australians.
Recent research undertaken by ANU indicates First Nations peoples may be experiencing stress, uncertainty, increased racism, re-traumatisation, as well as pressure to educate others, especially non-Indigenous Australians, about the Referendum. The ANU has published factsheets and links to relevant information and supports, which may be particularly helpful over the next six weeks, which are available here.
Many great resources on the Voice are also available on the Mental Health Australia and Yes23 websites, along with a page of up-coming events over the coming weeks.
This is a pivotal moment to directly address mental health disparities among First Nations communities. Together, we need to show our support for First Nations people over the next six weeks in a safe and respectful manner, on 14 October at the ballot box, and beyond.
Have a good weekend.
Carolyn Nikoloski
CEO, Mental Health Australia
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