![Senator Pat Dodson (right) in conversation with BADAC's Shu Brown about the voice to parliament. Picture by Adam Trafford. Senator Pat Dodson (right) in conversation with BADAC's Shu Brown about the voice to parliament. Picture by Adam Trafford.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/173106531/8be9e6dd-4322-4aa1-b47f-44c583b3bf84.jpg/r0_0_4838_3220_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
On his tour of regional communities, this senator is keen to distinguish exactly what the coming referendum vote will entail.
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Senator Pat Dodson, a Yawuru man from Broome in Western Australia, spoke to a captive audience in the Ballaarat Mechanics' Institute's Minerva Space that their vote will be part of a "tremendously transforming event".
He said a 'yes' vote would be a step in the right direction and be able to remove guilt, pain, misunderstanding and intolerances.
Mr Dodson has been appointed the federal government's special envoy for reconciliation and implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
He said a successful referendum would mean Australia's terra nullius history would be "put in the place where it should be and not feel guilty of it any further".
"We need to fix other things as a consequence of what happened in that process," Mr Dodson said.
"But we don't have to constantly have that argument."
Mr Dodson said he believed a successful referendum would make us a far better nation and a more united group of people.
The issue of how to engage community members when they are seeking "more details" were among the questions asked to the senator.
Mr Dodson said it was important to bring the discussion back to the central reason why the vote was happening.
"This is about whether we have a belief, the desire, a sense of generosity, to see and place in our constitution a set of words that recognises the Aboriginal tribes and peoples, as the First peoples of this country," he said.
"Surely, we can't deny that."
Mr Dodson told the audience that voting on the principle of an idea and letting the parliament legislate the details was a normal process for referendums.
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"It's not always as easy as finding the right spanner to fit the nut."
He said there would be a lot of work post a successful referendum on the best practices for the Voice, which would include more consultation with Aboriginal communities.
"That is what the government's committed to doing."
The senator said he was encouraged by Ballarat's turnout and engagement to the conversation with Ballarat and District Aboriginal Cooperative's cultural and therapeutic team manager Shu Brown.
"I think that the level of interest in Ballarat has indicated to me that people in the region really want to do the right thing," Mr Dodson said.
Two bills need to be approved by parliament before a referendum can be held.
It is expected a date will be picked between October and December.
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