Dubbo-born Canberran Michael Bones hopeful for 'yes' vote in Voice to Parliament referendum

A survey of 10,131 people, across 10 days in June, conducted by the owner of this masthead indicated the highest number of likely "yes" voters were in Canberra (58 per cent) and the lowest were in Dubbo (21 per cent).

"I would wish for Dubbo that it wasn't so, but it is what it is," Mr Bones, a Canberra-based social justice advocate, said.

On the other hand, he said he had expected most in Dubbo would vote "no" in the 2017 marriage equality postal survey, but in the end the "ayes" had it. The avid Voice supporter and president of Yeehaw, an initiative to promote personal and social change, feels it is Canberra's duty to talk to the regions.

"Here, in the ACT, we're already the most likely to vote 'yes'. What we need from Australia's capital is ... to put our energy into reaching out to our fellow country [people], " he said.

In Dubbo, councillor and community leader Pam Wells said she was aware of surveys showing low support for the Voice in her region. However, she did not believe it was a "true reflection" of the community's sentiment, especially in recent weeks.

"Over the last couple of weeks, particularly during NAIDOC week, we've had lots of conversations about the referendum, and most people I speak to are in favour of the 'yes' vote," she said.

On Friday, July 7, about 2000 people attended a NAIDOC event hosted by Dubbo's Uniting church, where Ms Wells works outside of the council. The event had an information stall where people could find out more about the Voice to Parliament referendum.

"I'd say 98 per cent of the people I spoke to there were in favour of the [Voice] that includes all ages of our Aboriginal community and non-Aboriginal community," she said.

"That's the type of thing we need to do ... we need to be getting out to the community more and educating so they make an informed decision when they go to the polls."

Mr Bones' sister-in-law Jamila, a Wiradjuri woman in Dubbo, said she would be voting "yes" and that the Voice was not a "new thing".

"Our people have been speaking for a long time about matters that affect them," she said. "With all of the current noise, we must be reminded simply of the ask, which is a historic call for action."

Mr Bones has joined D'harawal man and former public servant Gregory Andrews to invite people in and outside their community to discuss the upcoming referendum and what it means to vote "yes". Mr Andrews said the Voice would only be helping the Constitution catch up with what the nation already believes.

"Australia today is a modern Asia-Pacific multicultural democracy grounded on 60,000 years of Indigenous heritage," he said.

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