Ken Duncan: Iconic Australian photographer reveals why he’s voting No in the Voice referendum – after devoting his life to helping remote Aboriginal communities

A renowned Australian landscape photographer who founded a non-profit working with Aboriginal communities has revealed why he is voting No in the Voice to Parliament referendum. 

Ken Duncan OAM, 68, established the Walk a While Foundation 20 years ago, which seeks to empower First Nations Australians through creative and visual arts.

‘They already have a voice and no-one is listening,’ Mr Duncan told TNT Radio. 

‘That’s why I made this foundation, the government is failing miserably… Aboriginals in some of these remote communities are living in third and fourth world conditions.’

‘We need to be going out to these communities and asking Indigenous people what do you need for sustainable outcomes in your communities.’

‘We find these things out then be prepared to walk a while with them and equip them with the skills that are going to be required.’

Mr Duncan said the ‘process is the problem’.

‘Even with a Voice whatever they come up with it will all have to go through the same process with the land councils and things like that that are already failing.’

He compared it to a ‘big funnel’ in which money goes in the top, filters through government and other organisations and a fraction makes it to the communities where many of the programs set up fail in the first year, he said. 

‘We think the Aboriginal people own the land but they don’t it’s the land councils. these people can’t do anything on their land without permission.’

‘They has a $550million royal commission about Aboriginal youth in custody and what’s changed? Nothing.

‘If they’d given us that $550million we could have solved some problems.’

‘It stems from poverty, these youths go into towns and there’s nothing for them to do because in these remote communities you need permits so how is anyone going to get a business up.’

Australians will be asked to Vote on whether to alter the Constitution to establish an Aboriginal Voice after two centuries of silencing through colonial rule

‘We need to stop pouring money into the top and get it to these communities and another level over the top will do nothing. Personally I’ll be voting no,’ he said.

Mr Duncan said there were ‘all these unused buildings’ in these remote communities. and when his non-profit wanted to get one for a creative arts centre, it took seven years.

‘We need to send teams in to these communities to find out what they want and actually stay there and walk with them a while, not just throw money at the problem.’

‘If you do it right you will make yourself redundant and these communities will sustain themselves.’

Proponents of the Indigenous Voice say it will be a monumental step forward for Australia on par with Aboriginals being granted the right to vote in 1962.