With legislation on The Voice referendum resoundingly passing the lower house last week and assured passage when it goes to the Senate, it’s now time for this important national conversation to move away from the combative spotlight of politics and into the hearts of our homes, around our kitchen tables and into our teams at work, to share our thoughts and feelings about the kind of Australia we want to live in.
The Voice referendum provides an opportunity for our nation to talk about our constitution and how it can be improved to reflect on what is means to be a truly ‘inclusive’ nation. It’s time to deeply examine our relationship with the past and our current treatment of First Nations people and to invest in shaping the future for a better, more reconciled Australia.
That’s why we need every Australian to actively engage in and be informed about the referendum and undoubtedly it is employers who have the most vital role to play in this education. It’s now time for workplaces to step up, get off the fence and get involved.
To be clear, I believe in a fair, equitable and inclusive Australia for all. For me, that means supporting a Voice to Parliament as a pathway to help achieve this for First Nations People.
As an employer, I believe wholeheartedly in the responsibly and opportunity I have to help inform what the referendum can deliver for Australia, our community and our workplaces by acting on constitutional recognition for First Nations Australians; that this is a gift for all Australians, now and for generations to come.
Encouragingly, the number of organisations publicly and actively demonstrating their support for The Voice is growing, but many are still seemingly weighing up their positions.
Some of the more prominent declarations of support for the Yes campaign have come from sporting codes, including the NRL, AFL, Tennis Australia, Football Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee and Netball Australia. Rugby Australia gave their resounding support in a full page in the Sydney Morning Herald declaring, “The Voice is not about division, it’s about union”.
Many of the country’s biggest employers have also publicly backed the Yes campaign including ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB, Woolworths, Coles, BHP and Rio Tinto. Big four accounting firms and some of the country’s largest law firms including Baker McKenzie, Hall & Wilcox, King & Wood Mallesons, Gilbert + Tobin and Ashurst have also backed The Voice. And a number of Universities too are promoting their Yes stance, including ANU, UNSW and the University of Wollongong.
In some cases, big employers have committed to rolling out in-house educational campaigns in the lead-up to the vote, including EY, which has also given its “full support” to the Voice.
Last week more than 110 migrant and cultural community organisations signed a joint resolution declaring their support for The Voice, noting it as a great opportunity for the nation to come together. Meanwhile, 144 civil society organisations have launched the Allies for Uluru Coalition, a collaboration to actively show their support for the Yes vote, with groups like Greenpeace, the Human Rights Council of Australia and Beyond Blue on the list.
The above organisations and coalitions backing The Voice cover huge segments of Australia – either through employing Australians, delivering services to them, and/or touching into the community and the activities Australians cherish, such as through sport.
Still, many employers have said nothing or very little, perhaps hesitating on making such a stance. Many smaller sized businesses believe there is no need to get involved at all.
In leading Family Friendly Workplaces, we see this referendum as an opportunity for employers to demonstrate this social responsibility, and send a message to those who identify strong Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) as critical to where they invest and spend their money, and who they will work for and do business with.
Critically, we also see the link between the Yes campaign and demonstrating a commitment to families, children and the next generation. We are constantly reiterating the need for employers to see how they influence all segments of the community– especially children–with their workplace policies.
Be it paid parental leave, flexible work or something else, we are always encouraging employers to see the diversity of families they ultimately have a connection to, through their employees, customers, clients and stakeholders. Supporting The Voice, too, is an opportunity to extend this work, and to take their place in building a better Australia.
I know many HR leaders are currently concerned that backing the Yes vote could be perceived as if they are telling employees how to vote. They should trust that employees have the skills and agency to ultimately make up their own minds when they go to the ballot box. But as an employer, backing the Yes vote shows they are for action and positive change, and that they are demonstrating the importance of inclusion and social responsibility.
As the Uluru Statement from the Heart says: “When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to the country.”
This is an incredible vision for Australia, that any employer committed to families should back.
We acknowledge and support the Uluru Statement from the Heart. It is a gift and invitation to all Australians to unite together in reconciliation. We say YES to reconciliation and a Voice to Parliament for First Nations people.
Together, as a unified nation, we can improve the lives of all families today, and of generations to come, for “a reconciled tomorrow”.
You can read Family Friendly Workplaces’ full Voice for Reconciliation Statement here.