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First Nations women Kat Henaway and Marie Barbaric share similar values and a passion for Indigenous rights. They're also business partners and close friends.
Kat, a descendant of the Mer and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait Islands, says it was at a dinner party where she first noticed how different their opinions were.
Marie, a proud Dunghutti and Gamilaroi woman, got fired up with another friend, who was a staunch Yes voter.
“That was the first time I saw Marie really heated and arguing against the Voice, and it kind of cut our dinner party short," Kat told SBS Insight.
"I thought wow, she’s really passionate about it!”
Marie, meanwhile, says she couldn’t believe it when Kat threw herself fully behind the Yes campaign, and started attending events, forums and rallies in Sydney.
When they first started talking about the referendum, Marie says Kat also tried to make her see the benefits of the Voice.
“She'd say things like, 'I get your point of view Marie, but the Voice could be something different, something better'.”
Opposing views
Marie believes there has been "a lack of consultation and a lack of information" around the Voice.
"The government didn't tell people how it's going to be established and who's going to sit on it," she told SBS Insight.
"How is that one reference group going to be able to negotiate with every nation across this country and be a Voice for all of us?"
The proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament would be a body advising the government on issues particularly impacting First Nations Australians.
The government says the Voice will be gender balanced and include youth members, will draw on representatives from all states and territories and will include representatives from specific remote communities.
Dunghutti and Gamilaroi woman Marie Barbaric will be voting No in the referendum because she doesn't believe the Voice goes far enough to support First Nations people. Source: Supplied
"I don't want to see our country use a referendum for an outcome that is not going to have any guarantees of genuine change. I don't want my grandchildren or my great-grandchildren or any mob having to continue to suffer," she said.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has ruled out the Commonwealth negotiating a treaty in this term of parliament if the Indigenous Voice referendum succeeds, saying some states and territories were already involved in treaty processes.
Meanwhile, Kat believes Australia is ready for positive change and is hopeful the Voice can make a difference.
"We are birthing something new in this country with this Voice. We've never been down this path before, and I think you just have to have some faith and go on this journey."
Kat, a descendant of the Mer and Mua peoples of the Torres Strait Islands, is voting Yes in the referendum because she believes the Voice can make a difference for First Nations people. Source: Supplied
Different approaches
The two First Nations leaders met when Kat, a business adviser, became a mentor to Marie’s social enterprise Koori Kulcha.
The pair discovered they had a shared passion for working in the Indigenous sector and quickly became friends.
While Kat lives in Sydney and Marie in the NSW Southern Highlands, they see each other regularly.
“We found out we just had very similar values, and a lot of respect for each other, and that’s how we became friends," Kat said. "We were always ringing each other, and in the last year we’ve discovered a personal friendship where we talk about family and go out together."
Kat says Marie is a brilliant businesswoman and very much a community person.
"Marie is very committed to helping. She is a deeply empathetic person who likes to find solutions and make practical change.”
Marie describes Kat as "complex".
"Kat is very strong and if she says she's gonna do something she does it. But she’s also very soft, and people take advantage of her and don't give her the respect and acknowledgement I feel she should be getting for her amazing talents."
Kat Henaway (left) and Marie Barbaric (right) will vote differently on the Voice but say their opposing views don't affect their friendship and the respect and admiration they have for each other. Source: SBS
Mutual support
Kat and Marie both say they won't change their minds on the Voice. But they're determined to maintain the respect and admiration they have for each other in their professional and personal lives that forged their friendship in the first place.
Kat says while they have been involved in some "very heated dinner parties", Marie says their discussions about the Voice are really "just conversations".
"I work from the heart and Kat is thoughtful, considered and leads with her head," Marie said. "She has strong opinions in regards to voting Yes, and I respect those views.
"I think it's good that we can have these discussions but still be best friends and business partners."
Kat says the pair admire "each other's knowledge and skills".
"While we have very different opinions about the Voice, we absolutely respect each other's views and each other's rights to have a different opinion."
Stay informed on the 2023 Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum from across the SBS Network, including First Nations perspectives through NITV.
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