Students from all over Australia and members of Canberra's general public watched a panel of Indigenous advocates and senators answer university student-submitted questions on the Voice to Parliament on Wednesday night.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice: A Dialogue, held in the ANU's Llewellyn Hall, was a panel discussion featuring Labor senator Jana Stewart, Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, director of From The Heart Dean Parkin and partnership manager of the Uluru Statement of the Heart Sally Scales.
Professor Megan Davis joined the panel virtually, and discussions were moderated by Professor Mark Kenny. Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney was also in attendance to close proceedings.
The panel was live-streamed to more than 23 universities around Australia, whose students were given the opportunity to send questions to be answered.
Mr Kenny first asked Mr Parkin what he could gauge from the levels of enthusiasm and engagement through his work.
He spoke of how he has viewed the discourse around the Voice as two separate conversations.
"I've said this for a while now, there's two distinct conversations happening," he said.
"That place up on the hill ... that is one type of conversation that has been around, and it has been very much driven by the media and politicians going at this with a lot of really old-school political tactics ... [distracting] Australians from what's actually at stake here.
"But the conversation at the community level is just completely different ... they're not members of a political party, they're just Australians getting behind this 'yes' vote."
In a similar vein, when asked about the coverage of division amongst Indigenous Australians in regard to the Voice, Senator Jana Stewart called it a "misnomer".
She said 83 to 84 per cent of the Indigenous community are in favour of the Voice.
"Just by some understanding that we all share the same identity, [people seem to think] we all should agree [with each other]," she said.
"Somehow, First Nations communities are supposed to be homogeneous and all agree, but we are just like every other community, there will be people who disagree with everything."
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, who stepped away from the front bench due to his beliefs around the Voice, said the way the government had gone about it meant it will be "so much harder than it could have been" when asked about his situation.
"I'm probably kicking myself now that I wasn't more forthright," he said.
"I think that there is a lack of what I would call centre ground at this juncture. That would be desirable for this to be successful."
Both Professor Davis and Ms Scales reiterated the consultation process and length of time it had taken to get to this undated referendum.
Ms Scales said it is often the thing that people forget.
"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities haven't been doing this for the past six years [since the Uluru Statement from the Heart], and it hasn't been since Labor said they were going to do a referendum," she said.
"It's been a long time coming."
Minister Linda Burney spoke at the close of the 90-minute discussion, and said how she was "filled with hope".
"This referendum is about a coming together of our stories, a coming together of Australians, old and new, young and old," she said.
"To the young people ... you are our future and strongest allies, we have come together tonight to consider the future we want for ourselves and for our children.
"I urge you to campaign for the future ... the referendum campaign has begun."
While no date for the referendum has been officially finalised, the panel discussed the likelihood of mid-October.
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