As all members know, last Saturday the nation went to the polls to vote on enshrining constitutional recognition of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. I proudly voted yes and have previously spoken in this place about my support for the Voice. We live in a democracy and I respect the view of the population of Australia. I acknowledge the incredible hard work of the yes campaign, particularly in my neck of the woods. They worked day and night, having thousands of conversations on people's doorsteps, at train stations and at street stalls. They spoke at churches, mosques, temples, community halls and other places of worship. I note also the week of mourning by leaders in the Indigenous community. I cannot begin to imagine the impact the result has had on First Nations people.

Following the weekend's result, there has been much discussion amongst some professional opinionistas and the Twitterati—as is the way—on the reasons for the result and what it means. Frustratingly, the usual denigration of the people of Western Sydney has come with the blame game and finger pointing. While I am disappointed the referendum did not pass, I am also disappointed to see the people of Western Sydney labelled as racist, bigoted and ignorant for expressing their democratic will. I have previously spoken in this place about the dangerous consequences of inadequate communication by government institutions and the media. It can lead to feelings of isolation and neglect and erode community cohesion. We saw this most strikingly in Western Sydney during the COVID pandemic and lockdowns. Despite thoughtful and understandable intentions, not every person in Western Sydney, or Australia, is reading The Guardian, watching Q+A or The Drum. If those channels are used to communicate and the intended recipient does not use them, they are not to blame.

I spent referendum day at a booth in my electorate. That booth voted 60 per cent no. By comparison, I received a 68 per cent two‑party preferred vote at the same booth in March. The mood on Saturday was pleasant and friendly, and I had plenty of chats with my constituents about a whole host of issues throughout the day. There was no anger, bigotry or ignorance. The voters I spoke to were not there in contempt, but to cast their vote, to fulfil a democratic right, a right that many who came here as refugees know the precious price of. Following my election in March, many people were curious and interested in the coalition of supporters I had coalesced to win my seat—members of many different communities, religions and backgrounds, advantaged and disadvantaged, young and old, socially conservative Christians and young same-sex couples. I built this coalition over many years through my work in the community, by having an open door, listening to diverse points of view and, most importantly, by not instantly dismissing views I did not agree with—instead seeking to find common ground.

On Fist Nations issues, I am confident there is common ground on Closing the Gap. Around 34 per cent of the total health gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is due to social determinants, and 19 per cent is due to individual health risk factors. From 2017 to 2019 the suicide rate for Indigenous Australians in New South Wales was twice as high as non-Indigenous Australians. For those aged 25 to 44, it is triple the rate. Additional funding of $131 million has been allocated to 28 Closing the Gap initiatives to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander outcomes. That includes $34 million to tackle over-representation in the out-of-home care and justice systems, and $25 million to promote health and wellbeing in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Existing targeted programs are allocated $1.5 billion in the budget, including $375 million in Communities and Justice to fund early intervention programs.

I know many are hurting after the weekend's result, and with difficult losses it is often easier to wave one's hand and simply dismiss a chunk of the population. Perhaps those that have denigrated my community should look closer to home; perhaps their ability to communicate to the majority of Australians might not be as effective as they previously thought; perhaps it is not my community that is out of touch. Although the Voice did not pass, I respect the result, I respect my community's decision and I stand committed to continue to work with First Nations people on genuine reconciliation and to Closing the Gap.