Thread by @abc730

A referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament will be one of the biggest issues confronting the country next year. @latingle spoke to @mdavisqlder about what the Voice can be, and why she remains optimistic about its future. #abc730

"I think one of the reasons the Voice became the primary focus of Indigenous constitutional recognition is that we actually don't have much input at all into laws and policies that are made about our lives and our communities." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"There's a lot of noise and it happens in a lot of policy areas in Australia. There's a lot of noise and a lot of advisory committees. There's a lot of talk. There's a lot of reports but there's no coordination. There's no coherency." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"Australians can see the gaps are not changing. Australians can see we're not turning things around very quickly. And that's because we're just not involved or at the table. So that's one reason why they should vote yes." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"The Nationals' position is a really good example of why the Voice is needed. They made the decision on the basis of no detail. They hadn't read anything or responded to any substantive concrete detail. That's actually what happens in Indigenous affairs." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"It was disappointing, and I would hope given the way liberal democratic governments should function in terms of responding to information to detail, to fact, that they would revisit that decision once they had information in front of them." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"I don't think bipartisanship is going to be the key thing here. That doesn't mean you don't strive for it. Of course, it would be extremely important to have the Liberal Party onside." – @mdavisqlder #abc730

"This conversation has to be between Australians and First Nations peoples, without politicians trying to drag it into that kind of left-right tribal politics that means no progress in so many areas of law and policy, and our people can't survive no progress." – @mdavisqlder