Opinion: A call for small businesses to come together and vote Yes to the Voice

My story isn’t unique. I’m one of the 48% of Australians with a parent born overseas. My father was an Italian immigrant who came to Australia in the fifties when he was four. 

Like most migrant stories, it won’t surprise you to hear they had very little money. Or that they faced appalling racism. But over the decades, he worked hard, got married, and had children. Some of his children had children. He nurtured a lifelong love affair with Rugby League. 

Many of my life’s blessings, security, education, and health, came from my parents’ hard graft (my mother’s heritage is that mixed bag of Britishness that many of us claim. Irish, English, and a bit of Cornish thrown in. But they didn’t make their way to Australia’s shores in the luxury cabins either). 

Yet it would be remiss not to acknowledge the role location and policy played in our good fortune. We thrived in Australia in ways that weren’t possible in Southern Italy post-WWII. Or in Ireland in the 1800s. We thrived in Australia because governments, determined to populate rather than perish, needed those hard workers and designed policies to bring them here. 

We thrived in a country far away from our own ancestors. On a land that was never ceded. 

On October 14, Australians will vote on a proposed change to the constitution that recognises the First Peoples of Australia and establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

As the daughter of a migrant and an Australian, I’ll be voting Yes. I’ll also be voting Yes as a small business owner. 

It’s undeniable that it’s challenging to run a small business. Not only do owners need to be experts in our field, we need to wear many hats. From being the financial manager to overseeing the marketing and sales, the list goes on. After a long day servicing clients you often find yourself ensuring the wheels keep turning in your own business. 

It’s also undeniable that we’re running these businesses on unceded land. As small business owners we’ve all prospered, to varying degrees, on land that was taken, and kept, by force. This land we now call home. 

This isn’t an attempt to guilt or shame. It’s a call for us to come together. To show up and support a Voice to Parliament that recognises, listens and supports Indigenous peoples. 

Small businesses advocating for important social change

Back in 2015, the same-sex plebiscite dominated the news. Rather than leave it to corporate Australia, many SMEs threw their support behind the campaign, whether in regional Victoria where local businesses banded together to take out full-page (supportive) ads, or even the small business owners in Melbourne who made letterboxes adorned with hearts and rainbows in support of the LGTBQIA+ community. 

Small businesses are often instrumental in moving the needle on important social issues. Consider Heaps Normal advocating for mindful drinking right down to Little Big Dairy who, in the fight against plastic pollution, is punching above its weight as a small regional dairy by changing the colour of its milk bottle lids. 

Over 80% of Indigenous peoples support the Voice

The Voice was developed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, organisations and traditional owners as an invitation to the Australian people. It recognises 65,000 years of Indigenous culture and tradition and, significantly, can’t be dismantled by the political party, and its agenda, of the current time. 

The call has been issued and it’s our responsibility, as a nation, to listen to Indigenous peoples who developed the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and who overwhelmingly support the Voice. 

We’re not the only country grappling with our colonial past. Countries around the world are taking steps towards self-determination for First Nations peoples. 

The Sámi, whose traditional lands encompass parts of northern Scandinavia and Russia are represented in the parliaments of Sweden, Finland and Norway. The Norwegian Sámi parliament was established in the 80s to consult on issues affecting Sámi communities and this year, the Norwegian parliament overwhelmingly voted to amend its constitution to recognise the Sámi people as an Indigenous group in Norway.

Across the other side of the world in New Zealand, the Māori are represented in decision-making through dedicated seats in parliament. 

These examples prove that when you engage First Nations people, it leads to better outcomes in areas such as health, education and culture.

As Australians and small business owners, there’s so much to do over the coming weeks. Take a stand, start conversations, and sign up to volunteer in your local area. 

A vote for Yes is a commitment to listening to Indigenous peoples and recognising that those who are directly affected can best advise on policy matters. Rather than standing still, a vote for Yes moves the country forward towards a brighter future for all. 

Nicole Sergi is the founder of Copy with Nicole.