KINGSTON Council says it will work with local Indigenous groups to move forward in the wake of the failed Voice to Parliament referendum.
Kingston mayor Hadi Saab signed the Mayors for the Voice to Parliament public statement in February. Last week he said has was “deeply saddened by the outcome” of the referendum.
“After observing the week of silence following the Voice Referendum, I want to acknowledge that this is a very difficult time for many in our community,” he said. “The result does not impact the City of Kingston’s commitment to reconciliation or on our local action including our support of the Derrimut Weelam Gathering Place in Mordialloc.
“We will continue to listen to and work with our First Nations community members and we acknowledge that First Nations people have a rich and continuous connection to this area. It’s now essential to move away from the rancour of the last few months and pause, reflect, connect, heal, and move forward together. We confirm, in the strongest possible terms, our continuous commitment to work through our Reconciliation Action Plan.”
With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, Isaacs is one of a handful of electorates which may return a majority “Yes” vote when counting is complete. With more than 104,000 votes tallied, 50.56 percent of Isaacs voters cast a “Yes” vote.
Saab said he was “pleased to see that local support for the Voice was strong.”
First published in the Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News – 1 November 2023
