President's Message: ACRRM encourages members to support the Voice to Parliament

From the President Dr Dan Halliday 

On behalf of the Board and Council, I write to encourage members to vote ‘yes’ in support of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

I also encourage you to inform your position on the referendum on the Voice to Parliament with reliable and trusted sources of information, available on the College website, here.

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament will provide an opportunity to embed recognition of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ place in our country’s history and future within Australia’s constitution and parliamentary structures.

The changes would be enshrined in the nation’s constitution and present an opportunity which may not present itself again within our generation.

Voting ‘Yes’ for The Voice to Parliament aligns with the College’s vision to work toward better health and wellbeing outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This vision is further reflected in the College’s Reconciliation Action Plan and endorsement of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

As practitioners of health, we already know that the journey of healing starts once the pain of the injured has been heard.

The College views the referendum as an opportunity for members to contribute to the healing of the country.

As in medicine, strong and effective relationships can come when all perspectives are understood and when all people can know that they have been heard.

It is the responsibility of all Australians to work toward a country which addresses its past and which can look to a future which ensures that the voices of its First Nations Peoples can be heard in its parliamentary processes.

There is an extreme and continuing health gap between First Nations Peoples and other Australians and a stronger voice can be a powerful step forward toward mending this inequality.

Improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is a core aim of our College.

Rural and remote communities are far more likely to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples as a major part, if not most, of their population and the health disparities experienced by rural and remote Australians and those of Australia’s First Nations peoples are intertwined.

We invite members to consult resources and encourage discussions with family, friends, and colleagues. 

We also welcome any questions from members.

 The College encourages you to familiarise yourself with a range of resources available on the College website.

I also encourage you listen to ACRRM Life Fellow Dr Louis Peachey’s speech at the Rural Doctors Association of Queensland in June this year, and to view resources here.