PAM BOLAND, HOST: You're on Breakfast here on RTR FM. it's 8:37 on your sound alternative, Very nearly time for me to get out of here. But before you do, we've got one more person to catch up with today. We've had a very busy show, but of course, never too much. We've got lots and lots of time. Over the past month, across Breakfast and lots of your programs on RTRFM, we've been hearing from experts across law, society and politics on the Voice to Parliament. The referendum that's happening in just a little while. And a voice that has been particularly prominent, a local voice, this morning on Brekkie, we're catching up with Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Member for Perth, Patrick Gorman. Good morning. How are ya?.
PATRICK GORMAN, ASSISTANT MINISTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER AND ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE: Good morning Pam. I'm really good thanks. How are you?
BOLAND: I'm great, thanks, this morning it's a lovely morning to be here. We've got nice music playing, it's all happening.
GORMAN: I feel like the the weather is well and truly on for the school holidays and particularly for the Royal Show.
BOLAND: Yeah, oh, people out and about. My heart goes out to anyone that is taking their child to the Royal Show and the heartbreak of Bertie Beetles not being there this year.
GORMAN: It's hard when you - I have that parenting challenge tomorrow, we're taking the kids to the Show. It's hard, it's hard, you can't just be like, 'yep, you're getting that, that's what you're getting, that's it.' Now the kids have choice.
BOLAND: They have choice?
GORMAN: Yeah.
BOLAND: Oh, absolutely. What was your favourite showbag back when you were a kid?
GORMAN: Yeah actually - my childhood disappointment was that I really one year wanted the Channel 7 showbag because it had a toy helicopter in it. And we went to the Show too late in the Show's cycle and they'd sold out.
BOLAND: Oh, no!
GORMAN: Some 32 years later, I still remember missing out on that showbag.
BOLAND: Well, you'll have to get one this year. You'll have to go in. My favourite was always the Girlfriend Magazine showbag because it always had all the samples of facemasks. It was always very fun. You know. It's like free things that you can get, anyway. Hilarious, but we love the Royal Show and as, indeed, my heart goes out to you. And I'll be thinking of you tomorrow as you hold lots of sticky children's hands, sent into the into the arena. Now you've been very busy just recently. Catching up on what was going on with you. You were just down in Albany last night.
GORMAN: Yeah, so I went down to Albany for a few things. One, as the Assistant Minister for the Public Service to talk to some of the Federal public servants who are down in Albany, working at Centrelink, helping deliver essential services. We had a conversation with the local council, and had a chat some of the people who are engaging in the referendum down there. Because I think one of the things that really does actually bring Australia together, and the great democratic tradition is that wherever you live in this country, everyone gets a vote. And it was great to meet with Aunty Vernice, as one of the local elders to hear some of her stories about the Menang people there in Albany, but also, just to speak with some of the people who are actually out there talking about this referendum, because it's a huge discussion.
BOLAND: And it's really special that that can happen. And that is really lovely to engage with voices that are interested and active in the conversation that's going on. Now, you have been a voice that has been particularly active, you've spoken outwardly about supporting the Yes campaign. Why do you want to vote Yes? Why are you supporting the Yes campaign?
GORMAN: I think it's a really simple request, that not just me as the Federal Member for Perth received from the from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders through the Uluru Statement, but it's a request to all of us as citizens. And I think whether I was the Member for Perth, whether I was just a private citizen, I'd be out there supporting this. It's an opportunity and a really kind invitation to finally do something that for 122 years, we haven't had that recognition in our Constitution. And if you sort of go back and think about what was happening at that time, there were a lot of discussions that didn't involve Aboriginal people. And Aboriginal people here in Western Australia, weren't engaged in that writing of Australia's Constitution, this is a chance to fix that and to do it in a really simple way, which is to recognise First Nations people, to say that we will continuously listen to them in an ongoing basis by enshrining a Voice in the Constitution. And why don't we do all of that? Because it's gonna give us better results. Like I see, every year, the Closing the Gaps Statements, where we know that we're not making the progress we should. And, it's not a lack of will, and it's not a lack of money. It's a lack of doing the right thing in the right way. And the only way to get that effective policy designed and implemented is to do it in partnership and that's what we see the Voice will deliver.
BOLAND: You've been also involved in a little bit of doorknocking with the Yes campaign. What's that been like going out into the community? What kind of conversations have you been having?
GORMAN: Firstly, let me say to all of the Perth for Yes volunteers. We've got some 640 of them now and I want to thank - well I'm not gonna name them all - but I want to thank each and every one of them. It's been really nice to have the community come together to engage in this referendum, because it is a community discussion. It kinda goes from the Parliament to the people and I really enjoyed this last stage where it's been about people talking to one another. We've knocked now on Saturday, we knocked on our fifteen thousandth door.Now, that's more than you normally see in a Federal election. It's a pretty serious number. And again, it's why I thank all the volunteers who've helped us out. What we've heard is people actually really appreciative, they go, 'I've heard that this thing's coming, I want to know more.' And having those people who aren't there as like policy experts, or legal academics, but are just like, 'hey, I live down the road in Highgate. Here's what I think. And here's why I'm supporting it.' That's what people want to hear. And so it's been really nice on that basis. And it's also been great to see people who've never been involved in any other political issue. We have people who have doorknocked who are members of the Liberal Party, members of the Greens Party, members of the Labor Party, it's not, it's not partisan, it's community. And I think that's the other thing that I've really enjoyed about this referendum.
BOLAND: It's definitely a conversation that is, you know, centre for so many people's minds. But it can be confusing. When we look at the information about the Voice to Parliament, I think there's a lot of big words. And I think when people try and understand it, maybe what's happening is that it's, you know, hard to understand their words and functions that they maybe don't understand. For folks who are feeling a little overwhelmed by this kind of information. You're a Member of Parliament, you understand what this is gonna look like in Parliament, if you had to explain it to somebody who, you know, didn't know what was going on? How would you explain what the Voice is?
GORMAN: It's an advisory committee. And I'd say most of us at some point in our lives have served on some sort of an advisory committee or being consulted on something, whether it be in the workplace or in our community. And what we recognise is that we don't have that permanent standing advisory committee in the Commonwealth architecture. So we're trying to get something that will give us better advice on an ongoing basis. So what I say to people, they go, 'Well, what's it all about?' I say, it's about three things; recognising our First Australians in the Constitution, it's about listening to them, because you always get better results from listening to them. And then finally, it is about those better results. Because ultimately, it's got to be outcomes-focused. What I always say to people is - you know they go, 'oh, but will this change enough?' They ask you those sort of questions. I say, 'well, so I think you and I agree, the current system is a bit broken, right?' And they go, 'Yeah, I think the current system's a bit broken.' I'm like 'well, this is the thing that Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people have suggested to fix that broken system.' And again, I'd say to your listeners, the other thing to remember is that 80 per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people support this proposal. I think that's one of the other things that's confused people a little bit, and all of the surveys show that there's overwhelming support from Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander people. And I see that again, here in Perth, huge support from local Aboriginal leaders. And again, it's just been so nice to campaign with them. For me, as a kid, I know when I was about maybe six months old, my parents were pushing me in a pram around around the City of Perth, along William Street in 1985, marching for Aboriginal land rights. This has been pretty core to my beliefs my whole life. But to actually go and campaign alongside no elders here in our community is, is a privilege and something I'm really grateful for.
BOLAND: Thank you so much for joining us on breakfast, Patrick Gorman, a real insight, and great to demystify some of the things that are going on and hear a little about what's going on on the streets of Perth and, and learn a little bit more about it.
GORMAN: One last thing - can I say?
BOLAND: Of course.
GORMAN: Please, every one of your listeners needs to know that they can vote early from next Monday. You can vote early at 86 Barrack Street in the city. And if if you don't need to vote early, then of course, put in your diary now while you're listening, pull the car over if you're driving, put it in your diary; 14th of October is Referendum Day. Voting is compulsory. But more important than that, it's really important that people have their say.
BOLAND: If people are going to vote and they're confused about what they might find when they go into that booth, what will they find? What's the advice that you would have for them on the day, on October 14?
GORMAN: Firstly, unlike a normal election, where you have to number 1,2,3,4,5, and so on, you're just writing Yes or No. So, have a little practice. Pretty easy word to write. But you've got to write Yes or No. Second thing is, if you've got any problems, or you stuff up your referendum ballot paper or anything, just ask the Electoral Commission to issue you a new one, they can help you out. If you've got any problems when you're in there. And none of the campaigners, when you actually go into the voting booth, none of the campaigners are in there. So it's actually your time to make up your mind and to have your say, as a citizen. But also they're will be volunteers, we're making sure that there's going to be, across Western Australia and indeed across Australia. There'll be Yes volunteers there to answer any final questions you might have or to give you any last minute information.
BOLAND: Absolutely. Thank you so much again, Patrick Gorman, for coming into Brekkie. And good luck at the Royal Show!
GORMAN: Thank you, I'll need it.