Jana Stewart hopes her seven-month-old son Ari will grow up not knowing Australia without an Indigenous voice.
"That's incredibly significant compared to where I've come from," the Indigenous senator told AAP.
"From sitting in a classroom hearing about close the gap statistics, which was essentially reading out what my life was going to be like as an adult."
The Victorian Labor senator said statistics that outlined worse education outcomes, life expectancy and incarceration rates for Indigenous people reflected Australia as a nation.
"A voice to parliament is an opportunity to change that reflection of us," she said.
Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney told parliament the legislation outlining the referendum question, which was put before the lower house on Thursday, was a chance to unify the nation.
"We want inclusion, a better future, and this will do it," she said.
There are also concerns about the civility of the ensuing debate, with Senator Stewart worried about the mental health of vulnerable Indigenous children.
"We're not going to come out of this without scars but let's try and keep them to a minimum," she said.
"It's going to be important to keep the conversation evidence-based and respectful."
