Involvement in Voice campaign an ‘honour of my life’: Albanese

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Anthony Albanese says it has been an “honour of my life” to take part in the Voice to parliament campaign, as he conceded pursuing constitutional reform was not convenient or easy but “I believe in this”.

And the prime minister revealed he became emotional during an Inma ceremony at Uluru on Tuesday evening, during which he witnessed traditional dancing and songs, because of the “generosity of spirit of these wonderful, Indigenous women [who produced] … eloquent and beautiful words, inviting Australia to reconcile, to walk forward”.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets Pat Farmer as the former Liberal MP and ultra-marathon runner finishes his nearly 14,000 km Run for the Voice at Uluru.Credit: Bill Blair

“That’s what’s happened for a long period of time. We’ve been talking about constitutional recognition for decades, John Howard was talking about it, went to elections, Scott Morrison went to an election promising to advance it,” he said.

“I’ve responded to a request from Indigenous Australians to hold this referendum.”

Speaking at the base of Uluru, where he welcomed former federal Liberal MP Pat Farmer as he completed his 13,500-kilometre Run for the Voice around Australia, Albanese said no nation was ever advanced by succumbing to fear.

“What advances and enlarges a nation is hope and optimism for the future,” he said.

Albanese said Farmer was an inspiration, but ordinary Australians did not have to run nearly 14,000 km to support the Voice.

“Just walk a few feet into a polling booth and write three letters, Y-E-S on the ballot paper to say yes to the request that came from Uluru right back in 2017,” he said.

Farmer, who has been running about 80km a day since April 17, said he got his first glimpse of Uluru on Tuesday when he was about 40 kilometres out from the rock.

“When I crossed over the 40ks-to-go mark yesterday and I could see Uluru in the distance … this crimson, beautiful, beautiful rock in the distance, I broke into tears,” he said.

“I just couldn’t believe that I was finally at this destination and there is something very spiritual about this place behind us.”

The ultra-marathon runner, who paused several times as he spoke, recalled a conversation with an Indigenous woman in Adelaide about why the Voice to parliament was needed.

“She said to me, Pat, we don’t want sympathy, what we want, what we need, is empathy because … the difference between those two is when somebody walks in your shoes, when somebody understands what it’s like to live without and understands the need to close the gap – that’s what we have the opportunity to do on Saturday.”

But confusion over the Voice has undercut support for the change, with 56 per cent of voters rejecting the proposal in the latest Resolve Political Monitor.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said this week Albanese had decided not to reveal the details of the Voice and this meant voters should reject the idea because they could not be “absolutely certain” about how it would work.

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