A word from Rick Baker on The Voice to Parliament

Last week the Canva founders Mel, Cliff and Cam wrote an open letter to the Australian people to support the First Nations Voice to Parliament. I was among the signatories of Canva's letter. 

I don’t claim to be an authority on this matter, but I think the concept of the Voice aligns with Blackbird’s values.

At Blackbird we have an ambition to tackle the world's greatest problems. The disadvantage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians face has long been one of our nation’s greatest problems. 

Close to home, we see it in our startup ecosystem: a lack of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander founders, job applicants, people coming through our programs, and participants within our networks. We need to do a better job of supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our community.

At a national level, the Voice is an ambitious idea to change the way that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are represented and the way we come together to solve problems. It is the sort of innovation that we talk about when we think of a New Creative Nation.

While a YES outcome won’t solve everything overnight, it will disrupt two centuries of inertia. It’s the next step in the journey to reconciliation and equality. One that resonates with us at Blackbird.

Niki and I are both going to vote YES and we encourage you to do so too.