The Voice to Parliament: Resources for your business to consider

With The Voice referendum fully in motion, businesses are asking internal questions about how they should share their views externally.

Some small business leaders consider their firms as threads in Australia’s greater social fabric, with their official views an important part of the national conversation.

Others see a clearer separation: as the referendum will be decided by individuals, not organisations, some business leaders are choosing not to air an official organisational opinion.

In any case, businesses can play a powerful role in fostering discussion and encouraging staff and stakeholders to deeply consider the issues at stake.

Here’s a list of resources businesses can consider when bringing those conversations into the workplace, and when they contemplate their own public messaging.

Internal conversations

A partnership between Cox Inall Ridgway, a social change agency focused on Indigenous communications, policy, research, and agency giant Dentsu, this pack outlines key considerations for businesses when approaching discussions about the Voice.

The pack voices support for The Voice to Parliament from both organisations, but outlines steps businesses can take to generate internal discussions and reflects on the multi-faceted views likely to be expressed in the workplace.

“Not all employees will share the same views toward the referendum – that is the beauty of democracy,” it states.

The data pack includes templates for businesses that choose to broach the subject with staff.

It also considers the role of external stakeholder engagement, and the power of consulting with First Nations-owned and operated consultancies to gain further insight on the issues at hand.

Stakeholder surveys

One example of external consultation comes by way of Aboriginal social enterprise and fashion label Clothing the Gaps, which has partnered with independent lifestyle publication The Urban List on a public survey of viewpoints around The Voice.

Without advocating any one viewpoint, the survey speaks to the multi-faceted viewpoints that may arise before the referendum.

“This survey will help inform the content and resources that Clothing The Gaps shares in the lead up to the Referendum while we prioritise fact checking, myth busting and looking after each other at this time,” the survey states.

The results of the survey will be compiled in an article on the Urban List website, the survey adds, reflecting on the viewpoints that will inform Clothing The Gaps’ approach.

Education on the options

Offering access to the Yes and No cases is paramount to building an understanding of the issues.

Businesses wishing to elevate conversations about The Voice within their workplace can also access the official Yes/No pamphlet produced by the Australian Electoral Commission.

The pamphlet is designed for individuals before they head to the voting booth, containing the viewpoints put forward in favour of both the Yes and No vote.