Statement on the Voice to Parliament

Catholic Health Australia (CHA) is proud to embrace the warm invitation offered in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to participate in the movement for a better future for all Australians.

In anticipation of the next step of that journey – the 2023 Referendum on the Voice to Parliament – CHA is supporting the “Yes” campaign.

CHA’s not-for-profit member organisations have long been advocates for reform of the structures that limit human flourishing. In health and aged care, that means a system that is compassionate, fair, and focussed on the individual’s needs.

Our members’ services have been active in Australia for more than 165 years. During that time, they have seen first-hand the injustices faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and the ongoing health consequences of those wrongs.

As important as it is to offer immediate care and support to address ill health and frailty, these actions must always go hand-in-hand with justice and reconciliation.

This is why CHA is supporting the “Yes” campaign for the 2023 Referendum on the Voice to Parliament.

We acknowledge that prior establishments, practices, and processes have largely failed to improve the wellbeing and experiences of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. We similarly acknowledge our own faults and errors in this regard. Responding to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, CHA welcomes the profound gift and responsibility of the invitation to chart a new path together as a nation: more closely reconciled and working together to address the ongoing health and aged care challenges facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

This decision has come after a period of deep discernment, learning, and listening by our sector. We understand the diversity of views on the Voice and that others may arrive at a different place in their discernment. We continue to welcome discussions and people from all walks of life into our services, with the same compassion we have always been dedicated to providing.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart was an important step for our nation, and the Voice referendum is an important next step in ensuring the unique status and guidance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is secured for the future. We are committed to listening keenly and walking closely together to deliver better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into the future.