TRANSCRIPT
On the final full day of campaigning before the Voice referendum, Anthony Albanese is making a mad dash across the country, appearing in South Australia, Tasmania, and New South Wales.
But the Prime Minister has told Channel 9 it's not his campaign.
"This is a request from the First Australians made in 2017 at Uluru after years of consultation with thousands of Indigenous Australians, across hundreds of meetings, across many years. And it's a gracious request, just asking fellow Australians to walk with them on the journey towards Reconciliation."
The national dash is part of a final day blitz by the Yes movement.
A range of senior ministers and activists are also appearing in media across the country, including Kyam Maher in South Australia, the state's Indigenous Affairs Minister and a First Nations man.
He says he hopes Australians rise to the occasion.
"I have spoken to thousands of people over the last few months about this referendum, and the question I now get the most is 'what do Aboriginal people want? I want to do the best by Aboriginal people; what do they want?' I can say absolutely and overwhelmingly Aboriginal people want their fellow Australians to vote yes tomorrow."
Yes Director Dean Parkin says supporters have put in a massive effort for months, with 60,000 volunteers door-knocking more than 320,000 homes and making more than a million phone calls - an average of more than 30,000 calls per night in the final week alone.
"Continuing to fight every hour between now and when the polls close tomorrow for every Yes vote that we can possibly get."
But if the polls are any guide, things aren't looking so hopeful for the campaign.
The latest figures published this week from YouGov indicate 56 per cent of respondents intend to vote 'No', up three points from the previous survey.
A separate Roy Morgan poll has had similar results, suggesting 54 per cent of respondents will vote No.
The Prime Minister seems sceptical of those numbers.
"I note that some of the polls forgot to talk to actually anyone before they got released. I've seen the so-called seat-by-seat polling, based upon no discussions with any voters."
Senator Patrick Dodson has been equally reticent, telling reporters at his National Press Club address this week it's not over until the voters say so.
"We've got a section in the Constitution now which sets up the process that we're going through, a referendum process. That is, a majority of voters in a majority of states. I'll wait until the Australian people make their mind and their wishes clear. I'm not going to be ruled by polls."
Some Yes campaigners have continued to defy party expectations, with former and current Liberal MPs urging voters to support the referendum question.
Former senior minister Ken Wyatt has gone a step further, appearing on ABC Radio to accuse the Coalition of using fear and misinformation to drive the No campaign.
"It's been an intriguing one (campaign) in the sense that when I left office we had a 69 per cent rating, and then I've watched the position that people have taken that has caused this to drop substantially... Look, some of the tactics are copybook out of America. The fake news, the statements of 'you'll end up paying Aboriginal people, you'll lose land, you won't be allowed to do this'. We had the same fearmongering from my party over Mabo and the issues around the Wik decision. And this I'm seeing played out again. And that concerns me, that we haven't moved on."
Still, opposition Leader Peter Dutton is happy with the campaign he's supported, and appears confident the No vote will succeed.
He's told Channel 9 he believes voters will agree with him that the Voice is not a good idea.
"It's divisive, it's permanent once it goes into the Constitution, and I just don't think millions of Australians are going to support it; in fact, quite the opposite."
There are no official figures on the contact the campaign has had with the public, and few No supporters have scheduled appearances around the country - with the exception of Warren Mundine.
"I just find this a whole distraction. It's a referendum we didn't need to have. All that money that's been spent on this referendum could have been done to give kids a school, to get people into jobs and housing and all that type of stuff."
Voting opens at 8am on Saturday.
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