![Indigenous elder Lenny Clarke, with his dog Nulla, has urged people to vote yes in The Voice referendum, Indigenous elder Lenny Clarke, with his dog Nulla, has urged people to vote yes in The Voice referendum,](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/379mw9XPZ7UFRqmwjWhGKkr/8650c119-904d-44ae-b7b8-9b3451718624.jpg/r0_0_3013_2268_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A south-west Indigenous elder is bitterly disappointed some people want to vote no in The Voice referendum.
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Lenny Clarke said it was time for Australia to give Aboriginal people a voice.
"It's only right that we should be included in the constitution," Mr Clarke said.
"We missed out when it was first formed because of racism."
Mr Clarke plans to hit the road and talk to community members in Victoria and South Australia about voting yes in the coming weeks.
"We're going to be talking about the benefits of voting yes and why Aboriginal people should be included in the constitution."
Mr Clarke said it would be a step backwards for Australia if people voted no.
"We are looked upon by the international community as a backward country in terms of looking after the Indigenous people - the First People of the country," he said.
"We have to look after our Indigenous people and our marginalised people."
Mr Clarke said having a voice was essential for helping to close the gap between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people.
"We are where we are today because of racism," Mr Clarke said.
"We have the highest imprisonment rate in the world, our life expectancy is shorter - it's a no brainer to vote yes, that's for bloody sure.
"We were never in control of what we wanted - you can't ask for anything if you don't have a voice."
Joey Chatfield, a Gunditjmara Kirrae Whurrong man, said debate surrounding The Voice referendum had become divisive.
Mr Chatfield, 51, said he believed a growing number of people were unsure on which way they would vote.
He said he believed some of this had to do with hostility towards people's opinions on the referendum.
"I think it's getting close to the point where people might boycott it or not vote at all," Mr Chatfield said.
"I think some people might vote unsure rather than yes or no."
He said he didn't want to say which way he was voting because of the opinions held on both sides of the debate.
"In principle the vote was set up to give Aboriginal people a voice but there is a growing number of people who think that if you don't vote yes, you're racist."
Mr Chatfield said people should be able to vote yes or no without fear of judgement.
However, if they vote no, they shouldn't "add fuel to the fire" with racist comments through social media platforms.
Mr Chatfield said he was disappointed the referendum had led to division, but he was not surprised.
Senator Jacinta Price, who was in Colac at a forum on The Voice on Monday, said she was voting no.
"I've been a strong opponent of The Voice for quite some time," Ms Price said.
"My first issue is the principle of it - of being divided along racial lines - and I'm saying that as someone with both Indigenous and white Australian heritage."
Ms Price said there was a misconception people with an Indigenous heritage were disadvantaged for no other reason than their race.
"Separatism has caused a lot of our demise when it comes to Indigenous matters," Ms Price said.
"We need to move away from separatism and have a look at the $36 billion every year that is supposedly being spent on Closing the Gap."
Ms Price said she was bitterly disappointed some people were showing a lack of respect for people's views when it came to the referendum.
"We are part of a democratic country," she said.
"Everyone should have the right to their own opinion, a right to vote how they want without being called names or racist or cancelled potentially.
"As far as I'm concerned that's an attack on free speech
"We try to teach our children not to bully and to treat each other with respect - we as adults should act accordingly and provide those examples to our children."
Ms Price said she had been shocked by some of the "horrible, graphic, misogynistic and racist" attacks she had received online when expressing her views about The Voice.
She said she was pleased to be able to talk to south-west residents in Colac alongside her colleague - Member for Wannon Dan Tehan.
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