TRANSCRIPT
On October 14, Australians will head to the polling booths to vote for or against an Indigenous Voice to Parliament
And both sides of the debate are making every moment count during the final stretch.
Yes Campaigner Noel Pearson told the A-B-C a No vote would be a "travesty" which the nation could possibly never live down.
"Every minute and every hour over the next five days, is dedicated to those who have not made up their minds and those who are thinking about the importance of this vote for Australia. My message to them this week is that this is a moral choice for the country. This is not just a question of constitutional law."
Two new surveys have found the No campaign remains ahead, despite one poll indicating a slight gain in support for the Yes vote.
A Resolve poll conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age has revealed more than half of voters don't support the Voice, with 38 per cent in favour and 13 per cent undecided.
It found 56 per cent of respondents intend to vote No and 44 per cent will vote Yes, with the latter up one point since September.
A second Newspoll, published in the Australian newspaper, shows 58 per cent of voters are backing the No side, with support for Yes at 34 per cent.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Broken Hill, in the far west New South Wales.
He has rejected the idea that recent polling indicates the referendum will fail.
"It's only done when people cast their ballots. And what this proposition is, is a very clear and simple proposition. Just two things, recognition of the first Australians in our nation's constitution and secondly then the form of recognition that has been asked for is for a non-binding Advisory Committee. Nothing to fear here. No threat to anyone, everything to gain. An advisory committee so we can listen to Indigenous Australians about matters that affect them so that we'll get better results."
Education Minister Jason Clare says the federal government hopes undecided voters will choose a Yes vote in the coming days.
"For a lot of Australians, I'm pretty sure they still haven't made up their mind. You touched on the polls that are in the paper today. There's a lot of Australians who are still not sure. Australia's got five days to make up our mind on this. And I think as people count down to Saturday, they will give this serious thought. But this is tough. You know, winning a referendum is tough. Only one in five referenda in our history have got up. Labor in government has only been successful in getting a referendum up once in 1946. That gives you an idea just how hard this is. This is the political equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.”
The Prime Minister has claimed some arrogance has crept into the No side campaign, saying it's a campaign based upon fear.
But Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says he isn't taking recent polling too seriously - which indicates majority support for the no campaign.
"I think the polling has been consistent. But there's only one poll that counts. And that's why Australians need to get out on Saturday and vote no or if they're pre polling this week. Many people I think, have held off casting their vote, because they thought the Prime Minister was going to give the detail of what it is they're being asked to vote on. But as it turns out, the detail is not coming. The design of the voice, ironically, incredibly, starts next Monday, a week today after the votes taken place, and there's a six-month design process that's proposed. It's no wonder Australians, looking at what's before them, understanding that it is too divisive."
The Opposition leader is campaigning in Tasmania - where polling suggests there's a majority of Yes voters.
It's the only state which appears to hold a majority support for the Voice.
Nationals M-P Barnaby Joyce is also campaigning against the Voice and told Channel Ten he's looking forward to the day after the referendum, when the nation can begin healing.
"It's a race-based clause. It's one where a Caucasian or an Indian can't be part of the Voice. It's in perpetuity. It's an unelected selected body. It has oversight over the executive and that can create confusions. We could have done this so much better. It is an absolute divisive debacle. This is what has been brought on to our nation. This is a lose-lose situation, this referendum all the way around. And I think one thing we have in common, we're all looking forward to Sunday. So, we can start mending bridges and bury this and get on with life and next time do it in a better way."
The Yes campaign has taken to Redfern in Sydney where around 50 Indigenous community leaders have gathered to demonstrate support for a Voice.
Indigenous activist Millie Ingram says the Voice is essential for future generations.
"I've been fighting for our rights for the last 65 years even before the other referendum in 1967, in which I voted. We have been fighting for so long. And now it's our chance to go a little bit further. But it's for all of us as Australians, we all love this country. And we all want it to be better for every each and every one of us, especially our young people. And you can come along with us, and all of our future generations of young Australians will grow up in a wonderful, happy and country. That's what we want for our young children. I'm sure that's what you want for your young children. So let's do this together. Vote Yes."
The Australian Electoral Commission has revealed 1.3 million votes have already been cast at early voting centres, and 1.8 million postal votes have also been received.
But it's only the beginning, as millions more will head to the polls on October 14.
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