The Voice: Albanese addresses faith leaders

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has addressed the Faith Leaders Roundtable in Glebe on the upcoming The Voice referendum.

Rabbi Elton 2nd from the right, Peter Wertheim is centre left with blue shirt and ties

The Jewish community was represented by the co-CEO of The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Peter Wertheim and The Great Synagogue’s Chief Minister Rabbi Dr Benjamin Elton.

They joined leaders from the Islamic community, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Sikhs.

across the board, this is a very, very broad group representing the very large religions that are present in Australia, but also representing some of the smaller communities as well.

He thanked the faith leaders “for the leadership that you’re showing to your respective communities to respond positively to the gracious invitation that the Uluru Statement from the Heart represents”.

The Prime Minister said that he was unaware of any of the attending leaders “having any disagreement with advocating a Yes vote, and that says a lot about the nature of the request, but also the nature of what brings together this group with its common purpose of caring for the disadvantaged, and for bringing our great multicultural nation together as one”.

Rabbi Elton listens to the address

In his address, he said: “People who have come to Australia to make a better life for themselves and for their children. And that is what the Uluru Statement from the Heart represents as well. Indigenous Australians just want a better future for their children and for their grandchildren.

The referendum is, of course, just about two things – it’s about recognition of the fact of our history. Our history in this land didn’t begin in 1770 or even 1788 when Philip arrived here on this shore, it goes back some 65,000 years. And that we share this continent with the oldest continuous culture on earth should be a source of great pride, and I know is for most Australians.

When I go into my local church, it begins with an acknowledgement of country, and that is something that is common across the faith groups as well.

A nation becomes greater when it’s optimistic, when it appeals to hope, when it looks forward. And the opportunity that we have to be enlarged as a nation as we were when we gave the Apology. All of the faiths in, the great privilege of being Prime Minister is having contact with people here over a long period of time. And I know that one of the things that all of the faiths have in common is that when someone is wronged, you say sorry. That act of contrition, the idea that human beings are not perfect and that we need to learn from each other is something that is really important.

It is something that Rabbi David Saperstein said had a home in the Uluru Statement as much as a Jewish thinking but also in Christian theology, and Muslim poetry. There is so much in common across here, and that’s what unites us today.

People drawn from diverse traditions, beliefs and cultures. It is our shared belief in the dignity of the person, and a desire to move towards national healing, unity, and reconciliation.

But I have great belief that if you look at people who’ve examined the words that are being put to the Australian people on October 14, whether it is faith groups, sporting organisations, business groups, union groups, community, non-government organisations, charities, they are all coming together to advocate a Yes vote.”

He added: “Noel Pearson speaks about a Yes vote as being an act of faith and love, and at the end of the day, I am heartened by the campaign and the engagement that I’ve had with people who do have love for our common humanity. And over the next ten days, I’ll be doing whatever I can to make sure that that is reflected.”

He that a Voice given to Indigenous Australians is a non-binding advisory committee to be able to make representations on matters that affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

He finished by saying, “Like for any organisation and grouping of people, if you are having a decision made that will impact them, you are better off listening to them about what that impact will be, because you get better outcomes when you listen to people. And we will get better outcomes because we know from our history that the issues that are working for Indigenous Australians to close the gap are issues where we are listening, where that voice is present.”

Peter Wertheim told J-Wire: “The Roundtable was an important opportunity for faith community representatives to share their perspectives about the Voice referendum, and to compare the messages and concerns that are resonating in our respective communities.