Linda Burney references Dubbo's Michael Riley in emotional speech

Ms Burney, a Wiradjuri woman, gave an impassioned and emotional speech at the National Press Club earlier this week.

She stated why she believes a Voice will make practical differences to the lives of Indigenous people and why constitutional recognition is unfinished business.

Among the examples she gave was in relation to health statistics for Indigenous children, who are 55 times more likely to die from rheumatic heart disease than non-Indigenous people.

"These deaths are completely preventable with access to medical care, proper housing and running water," she said.

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To back this up further, she spoke about renowned photographer Michael Riley, who died in 2004 at 44 years of age.

"Michael grew up in poverty in Dubbo in the 1960s," she said.

"He spent time on Talbrager Reserve, an overcrowded place with terrible conditions and medical care was almost non-existent.

"Like so many others who were forced to live in these poor conditions, Michael suffered from chronic infections. He got rheumatic fever, a condition from which his immune system never recovered."

Mr Riley went on to enjoy a successful career behind the camera and his work was shown all over the world.

In 2004 he was "at the peak of his powers", according to Ms Burney, but he died of renal failure.

"I was very close to Michael. I visited him every day in hospital. I watched him go blind in one eye. His Aboriginality condemned him to an early death and a preventable death," she said.

"I remember the injustice of it and it's what still motivates me to this day. It's what motivates me every day to put one foot in front of the other. To do better by Indigenous Australians. To do better for future generations.

"We can and must do better."

This week media company ACM, the publisher of this masthead, revealed the results of a survey of more than 10,000 voters across metropolitan cities, regional centres and rural areas.

It shows that only 38 per cent of people say they will vote "yes" at the Voice referendum, expected to be held in October, while 55 per cent say they expect to vote "no".

Doubts about the landmark changes proposed by the Albanese government appear the strongest in regional NSW, where 72 per cent of readers of Dubbo's The Daily Liberal indicated they would vote "no" at the referendum and only 21 per cent indicated support for altering the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

But Ms Burney pointed to damning Close the Gap statistics as a reason more needs to be done.

"Just last month we saw new data that showed four of the 19 Closing the Gaps targets were on track. Just four," she said.

"Life expectancy, not on track. Indigenous babies born with a healthy birth weight, not on track. Finishing year 12, not on track. Indigenous people engaged in jobs and training, not on track.

"If we needed any more evident that more of the same is not good enough then this is it. We have to do things better and I honestly believe the Voice can help.

"We have everything to gain and nothing to lose by supporting the Voice."

The Voice will be a policy development partnership with government on Indigenous issues, meaning both parties will set the agenda, according to Ms Burney.

She said if the referendum got up she would ask the Voice for advice on policy, including the four key sectors of health, education, jobs and housing.

"From day one the Voice will have a full in-tray," she said.

"The Voice will be tasked with taking the long view."

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