Voice conversation for Borough

THE Borough of Queenscliff has hosted its community conversation event about the coming Voice to Parliament referendum.

The borough partnered with Point Lonsdale Civic Association and the Queenscliffe Reconciliation Mob to deliver the event at Point Lonsdale Primary School Hall on Sunday.

Borough councillors voted earlier this year to host the discussion event, which was designed to provide local residents with a greater understanding of the referendum and its implications.

Speakers at the event included prominent journalist and co-author of The Voice to Parliament Handbook Kerry O’Brien, Wadawurrung woman Corrina Eccles, and constitutional lawyer and laureate professor at the University of Melbourne Professor Cheryl Saunders, who about the proposed changes to the constitution.

Borough mayor Isabelle Tolhurst said local government had a role to play to educate their communities about the proposed changes and their impacts.

“It’s so important that local government facilitates community conversations about issues of national significance such as the upcoming referendum.

“Council’s event provides an opportunity to ask questions and learn about the Voice – how it’s proposed to work, how Traditional Owners feel about it, the role of local government, constitutional change and more.

“Council recognises everyone has a vote, and this is about providing information and encouraging active participation in civic life.

Cr Donnie Grigau was the lone councillor to vote against the borough’s involvement in this issue in March, and said the responsibility should rest with national bodies.

“This debate is actually formed at the federal level. We should be sticking to our lane,” he said at the time.

“We’ve got more important things to deliver… [as] a third arm of the government that looks after delivery of services to the ratepayers.

Australians will head to the polls later this year to vote on whether to enshrine the Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.