When the colonists first arrived in Aus
The People of the Land called out
“You’re not welcome. Go away!”
The colonists? They ignored that call.
The land, the water - they took it all.
The colonists took the People’s culture:
Skulls and tools, to museums, were sent
Sacred sites were trashed for profit
When First People spoke, the colonists sneered
“Your language, it’s not wanted here”.
Colonists used the People’s labour
Paid the men with smokes and booze
And when they asked for a fair day’s pay
The colonists said “No way, no way”
Those jobs they simply took away.
The colonists came for the People’s children:
“A servant’s life is best for them”
But every time the People pleaded:
“Please don’t tear apart our family!”
Their plaintive cries were never heeded.
The colonists took the People’s pride:
“You do not count. You’re not real people”
“Your culture, history? We do not care.”
For two hundred years and many more
First People languished in deep despair.
Across that time the People lost
Their land, their culture, livelihoods
Children, pride and many lives
The colonists? They’d done alright. But
Things were not good for the First People of the Land.
The colonists were shocked to find
For almost every meaningful measure
Like health, education, life expectancy
Imprisonment and deaths in custody
Things were not good for the First People of the Land.
The colonists said to the First People
“We can fix your problems for you”
“We’ll make the laws, we’ll set the targets”
Yet despite their mostly good intentions
The colonists’ laws did not deliver.
The People of the Land assembled
And made to us a fair request
“Please give us an enduring voice
To those up high who make the laws
That affect our quality of life.”
Will we accept this invitation?
Step right through this open door
Side by side and hand in hand
With the First People of the Land?
The time to decide is getting near
Should we choose hope over fear?
Unity and not division?
Then “Yes” would be the right decision
Or - will selective deafness still prevail?
Will rear-guard action win the day?
The selfish cries “why them not me”
The patronising “we know what’s best”
Colonial lawyers pushing fear:
“The Voice might fail the high court test”.
The bleating calls “if you don’t know
Then voting no’s the way to go”.
And those that say “It’s not enough.
It might not change a single thing.
We really want some other stuff.
Let’s wait and see what time will bring”
No time to wait, nor time to waste
For now it’s time
To shed the shackles of our colonial past
Now is the time
To have this referendum passed
