Medical workers in rural indigenous communities are among the new faces of the campaign supporting a Voice in Parliament.
Ordinary Indigenous Australians from the Kimberley and Alice Springs replaced the likes of Cate Blanchett, Johnathan Thurston and Ash Barty in a new $1 million charm offensive to encourage voters to support the referendum later this year.
The public will be asked whether a Voice in Parliament should be enshrined in our constitution, and the vote will take place between October and December.
Yes23, the official Yes campaign, conducted internal focus group research which revealed that a large part of the general public still views Voice as a ‘political issue’.
To counter these concerns, the campaign has launched a new advertising blitz with a series of new ads featuring First Nations people every day, explaining what a Voice in Parliament would mean to them.
Medical workers in rural indigenous communities are among the new faces of the campaign supporting a Voice in Parliament
Brenda Garstone, CEO of Yura Yungi Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation, appears on the campaign, saying the community “really needs a voice that works for us.”
“It’s very, very important for Aboriginal health leadership because we understand our people, we’re able to build trust very quickly,” he says.
“Many of our people need immediate health treatment and we can’t wait to build trust.”
Stephanie Trust, clinical director of Wunan Health and Wellbeing, spoke in an announcement about her parents being part of the stolen generation.
He said his clinic “provides primary healthcare with a true Aboriginal flavour”, noting that healthcare in disadvantaged communities also needs a sense of “social services”.
Her colleague, Tanya, said: ‘I don’t necessarily believe that the voices of government and politicians have the answers. I think it has to be brought back to the community and to the grassroots because, in a sense, we can identify our own problems and we are fully capable.’

Yes23, the official Yes campaign, conducted internal focus group research which revealed that Voice is still seen as a “political issue” by a large part of the general public.

Everyday indigenous Australians from the Kimberley and Alice Springs replaced the likes of Cate Blanchett, Johnathan Thurston and Ash Barty in a new $1 million charm offensive to encourage voters to support the referendum later this year.
Dr Trust said, “The Voice will allow us to be able to give that opinion, to be able to sit at the tables and speak from experience and bring that value and experience to the conversation.”
Another ad features Jacqui Cox, who works with the Language Support Center in the Kimberley region.
She is working to preserve the 42 languages in the region, but staff say the languages are “endangered” because people were “punished for speaking their languages.”
‘It has been dictated to us for a long time… to the point of feeling that we are losing ourselves, as indigenous peoples.
‘We just want to be heard and respected…we need to have a voice in Parliament House.’
These fresh faces mark a move away from celebrity endorsements, after insiders revealed concerns that the use of stars could backfire.
One source said Australians don’t like being told what to do and celebrities like Blanchett, who doesn’t even live in Australia, could be misinterpreted as lecturing voters.

Daily Mail Australia understands that efforts have increased significantly in recent weeks to counter the gains made by the No campaign, as polls show that support for Voice is slipping across the country.

These new faces mark a shift in celebrity endorsements, after insiders revealed that there were concerns that the use of stars could backfire.
The Australian movie star expressed his support for the referendum during an ABC interview, prompting an immediate and fierce reaction online.
Several online critics told her to “stick to acting”, while others said it was “insulting” for her to comment on Australian politics while living abroad. She was accused of being ‘preachy’ and ‘insulting’ by others.
Yes23 has faced significant difficulties in keeping up with the No campaign, which was launched immediately after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese revealed the referendum question.
Daily Mail Australia understands that efforts have intensified significantly in recent weeks to counter the gains made by the No campaign, as polls show that support for Voice is waning across the country.

Brenda Garstone (right), CEO of Yura Yungi Medical Service Aboriginal Corporation, appears on the campaign, saying the community “really needs a voice that works for us.”
Campaign manager Dean Parkin said, ‘These videos show that when you involve indigenous peoples in developing programs that impact them, you get better results.
“It makes sense that when you get input from people who live and work in these communities and experience problems on a day-to-day basis, you get well-designed policies that can make a practical difference.”
Parkin said a successful Yes vote in the referendum, which will take place between October and December, would “change the game on how policies affecting indigenous peoples are developed.”
All four ads will air through the campaign’s social media channels.
The campaign is expected to have dedicated at least $1 million to the digital launch, marking its largest investment in digital advertising to date.


Internal research has suggested that every day Australians are becoming more interested in what indigenous people think about the Voice.
Internal research has suggested that every day Australians are becoming more interested in what indigenous people think about the Voice.
Within each campaign there are well-known and respected indigenous politicians and academics who defend their positions.
Lawyer and advocate Noel Pearson and Indian Affairs Minister Linda Burney are among the most high-profile Yes activists.
Meanwhile, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and former politician Warren Mundine have been advocating a no vote.
Senator Lidia Thorpe is also against Voice, favoring a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians instead.
Despite widespread polling indicating support for Voice is falling, Yes activists remain hopeful that many voters remain undecided or see themselves as a ‘soft no’.
The hope is that with the increase in campaigns on the ground in communities across the country, volunteers will be able to influence opinions.