Maree Meredith | The fate of First Nations people is in the hands of non-Indigenous Australians with Voice referendum votes

The great irony of this year's referendum is that a step to start to undo some of the harm of colonialism, when one race decided the fate of another, can only be achieved through that same process - with non-Indigenous Australians deciding the future of the Voice.

Indigenous people comprise just 3 per cent of the Australian community and will have little direct impact on the ballot box in practice, compared to the other 97 per cent of the nation.

While much of the focus has been on the impact of the proposal on Indigenous people, the reality is that the outcome of this referendum will in my view boil down to whether non-Indigenous Australians believe that the proposal takes us a step beyond colonialism, towards a fairer Australia.

It turns out that the Voice isn't really an Indigenous issue, despite misinformation and the bellowing of a handful of voices.

This is about how everyday Australians choose to step beyond colonialism.

One of the great threats to the proposed voice is also one of the reasons it is most needed. There is a diversity of opinions within Indigenous communities about the proposed Voice. Does it go far enough? Does it stymie progress that otherwise could bring greater benefit? Is it going to help?

The diversity of responses is painted as a weakness by those that think First Nations people should have a homogenous view.

The fact that some Indigenous people will vote 'yes' and others vote 'no' is simply a sign of healthy democracy - people with passion for change seeking better outcomes, with different views on how to get there.

Just as our parliament draws together people with differing views in a process that results in a set of laws and policies that are the best guess of our nation, proposing how we should move forward.

Regardless, my fellow First Nations Australians must realise that this vote is not ours to win or lose - this is about the role of non-Indigenous allies and partners who want to see change and a progression towards a fairer Australia.

We all know the statistics on health outcomes, morbidity, education and wealth. Ever since the 1967 referendum the nation of the fair go has made progress in recognising that Indigenous people have had unequal life opportunities.

As a result, successive governments have over the past couple of decades poured billions of dollars into programs to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and education outcomes, but the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people has remained stubbornly broad.

In that context, the Voice proposes an opportunity for the interests of Indigenous Australians to be discussed, so that clearer advice can be provided to the government, to inform and shape the way that we provide programs to help Indigenous people.

Closing the Gap initiatives have frequently failed to live up to expectations, because successive Australian governments have tried to heal our communities without giving us a say in how changes can be made.

No one is claiming it will be a magic bullet solution, but it does offer promise as a solid first step.

But that's my view, one vote among millions. The Voice is yours to decide.

The referendum question will be decided by whether non-Indigenous Australians are convinced that this is a fairer approach - and potentially also a better way to get results from their tax dollars.

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In the meantime, however, partisan name calling and dissension appears to be obscuring public understanding of the Voice.

That is why, when we were planning a series of events to discuss and build understanding about the Voice, the University of Canberra invited a non-Indigenous person, prominent Liberal MP Julian Leeser, to lead off the series.

His insights and campaigning on this issue are significant and his track record of advocating for the Voice over a ten-year period as a non-Indigenous person provides him with an opportunity to present some valuable insights.

It is the thoughts, the will and most importantly, the votes of non-Indigenous people that will determine the future of the Voice.

The University of Canberra's Voice to Parliament lecture series begins at 5.30pm on Thursday, June 1 at the Shine Dome, featuring Julian Leeser MP.

The event is free, however places must be booked via https://tinyurl.com/574yv824