John Farnham lends hit ‘You’re The Voice’ to Yes campaign: ‘I hope it can change the lives of our First Nations for the better’
John Farnham officially supports Australia’s Yes campaign to give an Indigenous voice to Parliament.
The 74-year-old singer has lent his iconic song You’re The Voice to an official campaign ad.
“This song changed my life. I can only hope that now it goes some way to changing the lives of our First Nations people for the better,” he said in a statement.
Tim Wheatley, the son of Farnham’s manager Glenn Wheatley, added: “Whether you win or lose this referendum, this song will forever remain on the right side of history.”
The ad, featuring Farnham’s song, features a family watching historic Australian moments on television, including Cathy Freeman winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as “You’re The Voice” plays.
John Farnham (pictured) officially supports Australia’s Yes campaign to give an Indigenous voice to Parliament
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday that the referendum would take place on October 14.
Australia’s last referendum was held 24 years ago in 1999 to decide whether the country should become a republic.
The referendum will enshrine an Indigenous voice in Parliament in the constitution to give Aboriginal Australians a direct role in the country’s political decisions.
Mr Albanese has long been confident the referendum will be successful, although opinion polls show majority support for the Voice has waned in recent months as public debate has become increasingly heated and contentious.
“I think people will start to focus more. “I expect many Australians will only start to focus in the last few weeks,” Albanese told reporters. “A majority of Australians will come to the answer that there is nothing to lose here, only benefits.”
The 74-year-old singer has lent his iconic song You’re The Voice to an official campaign ad
The advert features a family watching historic Australian moments on television, including Cathy Freeman winning gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, as ‘You’re The Voice’ blares
To be successful, the Yes campaign needs a majority of Australians and a majority in at least four of the six states. Only eight of 44 referendums in Australia’s 122-year history have been successful – all with bipartisan support.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) will distribute 13 million information leaflets to Australian households over the next few weeks.
“From aged care facilities to suburban homes, from outback stations to high-rise apartments, we are working with Australia Post to distribute the leaflets across the country,” Australian poll worker Nye Coffey said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Wednesday that the referendum would take place on October 14
Yes campaigner Noel Pearson said the vote in South Australia was crucial to ensuring the Yes campaign won a majority in at least four of six states.
Warren Mundine, a No campaigner, said the latest push would be “a real battle for the hearts and minds of the Australian public out there”.
Recent polls show support for the vote is falling in all states, and the latest Newspoll polls show the Yes vote is only ahead in SA and NSW.
In Victoria the votes are evenly split, while in WA, Queensland and Tasmania the “no” vote is at the forefront.