As Australia heads toward a Referendum on an Indigenous , National Indigenous Television’s (NITV) current affairs program, The Point, will be the home of First Nations perspectives informing all Australians in the lead up to the vote.
The Point returns on Tuesday 30 May at 7.30pm on NITV, 10.30pm on SBS, and on SBS On Demand for a new season, travelling throughout Australia to share voices from communities, engaging in debate and providing insightful analysis, to help inform all Australians about the upcoming Voice Referendum.
The Point: Referendum Road Trip will also include commentary and analysis from Canberra-based Voice Correspondent for SBS and NITV, Gamilaroi man, Cameron Gooley, and current affairs features from National Point Correspondent and Gamilaroi woman, Keira Jenkins.
Proud Mudburra and Wagadagam woman, and NITV’s Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs, Natalie Ahmat, said: “The Point continues to give First Nations peoples a safe space and a vital voice in the media, and is essential viewing for all Australians."
“We are looking forward to sharing fresh perspectives, exploring the diversity of views and experiences among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and visiting mob across the country to ensure Australians are informed with facts, unique insights and analysis. We are taking this conversation out of the corridors of Canberra and into community, getting to the heart of the story.”
Co-host of The Point and Senior Indigenous Affairs Expert, John Paul Janke said “NITV is in a unique position to inform all Australians about the upcoming Referendum through our extensive coverage. If you want to learn more about the Vote, The Point is one of the many places you can find information from NITV, within the SBS network.”
The Point: Referendum Road Trip will air six episodes before taking a short break and will return to cover the annual Garma Festival of Traditional Cultures in early August. The program will then continue to run until the Referendum and NITV will feature a special week of programming in the lead-up to the vote, with more details to be shared closer to the date.
Here's a breakdown of the first three episodes:
Episode 1
Join Narelda and JP live from the studio on Cammeraygal Country as they explore what it means to have a voice, and at what cost? The hosts will be accompanied by a group of diverse panellists, including experts and activists, to kick off this Voice to Parliament-focused season.
Episode 2
Coming to you from Waiben (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait, this week’s episode will include a panel of local people who each bring their perspective to the Voice to Parliament debate.
Episode 3
The theme of this week’s broadcast from the studio is sovereignty – a concept that is often mentioned alongside the Voice to Parliament. The episode will tackle the question of what Indigenous sovereignty is and whether a Voice can extinguish it.
Watch The Point weekly from Tuesday 30 May at 7.30pm on NITV and on SBS from 10.30pm. The Point will also be available to stream for free on SBS On Demand and will be subtitled in Arabic and Simplified Chinese.
