AFL executive Tanya Hosch has made a case for voting ‘Yes’ in the Voice referendum, sharing that she had a lower part of her leg amputated two weeks ago and that health services had let her down.
As an Indigenous woman, Hosch said she was concerned that other Indigenous people lacked access to the healthcare services they needed.
“I want to share a deeply personal and real story,” Hosch told an event in Adelaide on Wednesday. “It’s too easy to speak of numbers without speaking about people and families and communities.”
“A little over two weeks ago, I had my lower right leg amputated and so having left the hospital only yesterday, I’m standing here on one leg today.”
“I have type two diabetes and I contracted a related disease that I have battled for three years and across six surgeries trying to avoid the loss of my limb.”
“I’m not without privilege and access to services, but still the service design let me down. I know that if we already had a permanent Voice in place, there would be people around that table that understand my story, my experience and what could make things better and different for me and for people like me.”
Hosch rose from her wheelchair to speak at the podium during the event, speaking after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
“In terms of our health we know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people endure a burden of disease two to three times higher than non-Indigenous Australians,” she said, noting that she believed the Voice was one way to see better health outcomes delivered for Indigenous people.
“We have been left without a durable or genuine say in how the matters that affect us are to be managed. If we continue to do things the same way we always have, we will get the same results. This is all the ‘No’ case offers – leave things as they are and that is just not acceptable.”
Hosch said the Voice would help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people “get out of the department of disadvantage”.
“There is a lot of noise about the scope of the Voice and some of it is genuine, but some of it is sheer mischief. Ee say to the mischief-makers that we cannot sit back while decisions that affect us are made without our input and without our expertise,’’ she said.
“We are not interested in being on the periphery of daily life anymore. We want to get out of the department of disadvantage and into the world of hope through opportunity and equal outcomes.”
Hosch said it was finally time to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian constitution.
“It’s time to listen to the voices of communities on the problems they face and the solutions they need. Time to build a better future for all Australians.”