Anthony Albanese has made an emotional return to Uluru as the referendum approaches

The prime minister met with Traditional Owners and the Central Land Council, making another plea for voters to approve the Voice.

the prime minister in an akubra sits in the red dirt around uluru, visible in the background, with local women sitting around him holding the Uluru statement from the heart.

A performance by local women brought the prime minister to tears at Uluru, where he again exhorted voters to approve the constitutional alteration.

Greeted by song and dance, the prime minister was moved to tears on Tuesday as he made a return to Uluru, six years after the Statement from the Heart was declared.

Accompanied by Northern Territory MP Marion Scrymgour, Anthony Albanese met with Traditional Owners and was again presented with a copy of the statement.

Joining local women on the red dirt surrounding the sacred rock, a performance created especially for the moment, including the carrying of heavy sticks to symbolise the burden of the referendum, proved too emotional for the prime minister.
dancers in black red and gold Aboriginal colours perform in the red dirt surrounding uluru
Performers greeted the prime minister and Yes campaign delegates at an emotional ceremony at Uluru.
In remarks to the ABC following the performance, he stressed that the race is still not over.

"We're going to run all the way to Saturday," he said.

"We are going to fulfil the commitment that I gave back in March, when I said we were all in and we are. I think it's important."

Mr Albanese was joined on Aṉangu Country by Yes campaigner Noel Pearson and the chief executive of the Central Land Council (CLC) Les Turner. The PM again appealed for voters to approve the constitutional alteration, pointing to the support offered by land councils like the CLC.

"The council gathered some 90 representatives, all elected from local communities throughout this vast area of central Australia that covers tens of thousands of kilometres," he told the ABC.

"All 90 delegates [determined] that they want a Yes vote, as have every other one of the land councils in the Northern Territory."

As the referendum enters its dying days, the consistently bad polls for the Yes campaign have not seemed to dim the prime minister's bullishness about its chances.

He returned again to a refrain he has consistently used in relation to the referendum, declaring it a "once in a generation" opportunity.

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2 min read
Published 11 October 2023 2:42pm
By Dan Butler
Source: NITV


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