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TRANSCRIPT
Prepolling on a Voice to Parliament has finally begun in New South Wales, the A-C-T, Queensland and South Australia after early voting stations opened on Tuesday.
Across the nation, people have continued to put pencil to paper since early voting began in the Northern Territory, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia on Monday.
At a Sydney pre-polling booth, Yes supporters were publicly making their case for the constitutionally enshrined advisory body.
Man 1: "I wholeheartedly agree with the Yes vote."
Man 2: "To be frank, I've not paid much attention just because obviously I've been busy with work, but I do understand the big picture, and I think First Nations people need to have a voice."
Man 3: "I think it's been pretty comprehensive what the campaigns have been about, and yeah, I think it's time for change."
But at a Perth rally for the No vote on Monday night, leading campaigners united against the proposal. Emboldened by supporters, they have argued that there should be an investigation into federal spending.
No Campaigner Warren Mundine danced to the podium to applause from the audience. He says that Australians owe their great success to First Nations peoples and immigrant settlers alike.
"But we do need to help other people as well, there are people struggling here, so we've got to fix it, and that's where the hard yakka comes in. It's not about a Voice it's not about the government, its about accountability, where is all the money that gets spent?"
No Campaigner Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who received a standing ovation, says that the Albanese government is using the Voice as a distraction.
"When all those things have been suggested, [that] this is the only way forward, well, you know what, we're here to say, no it's not. We're going to do what we haven't done yet, we are going to find where the billions have been spent.” (Cheers)
No Campaign advertising, highly critical of corporate supporters of the Yes campaign, was shown on a large screen.
Event organiser Matthew Sheehan continued the criticism of the elites which he says are backing the Voice.
"No because we are sick of being treated like idiots by those who consider themselves superior to us, the corporates, the woke and the Teals. We need to crush this voice to send them a clear message, because we are sick of them spitting in our face whenever we stand up for our families and our country."
In Adelaide on Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that the No campaign is avoiding the issues at the heart of the Voice proposal.
"Allowing goverments to listen to what Indigenous Australians say about matters that affect them. Why do you want to do that? You want to do that because you get better results. And to me, the no campaign undermines its own position, by the fact they want to talk about everything that this referendum isn't about, and nothing about what it is."
The Yes campaign has been buoyed by a poll showing the first increase in support in months. The latest Guardian Essential Poll has found that 43 per cent of Australians are now planning to vote yes, up two points.
The no vote is still much higher at 49 per cent, though down by two points, with eight per cent still unsure.
But taking into account the soft yes and soft no voters, 28 per cent are yet to settle on a final position.
And with the margin of error as wide as three points, the support of rugby league star Nathan Cleary is being heartily celebrated by those hoping to make constitutional change a reality.
"No voice, no choice, come on Australia, vote yes."
Throughout the campaign polls have been dissected in minute detail on a weekly basis. Just how strong a litmus test they will be for the public mood is something that will become clear in less than two weeks.
