Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister, Assistant Minister for the Public Service
The sun made the new students sweat as they arrived at the University of Western Australia at the start of 1957.
The sandstone buildings echoed with enthusiasm.
Undoubtedly the most enthusiastic, and possibly nervous, student walking onto campus that year was Irwin Lewis. Irwin was the first Aboriginal student to attend university in WA.
The first Aboriginal student, attending university just three years after the abolition of discriminatory the native pass system in Perth.
From his home in Morawa, to dux at Christchurch Grammar, UWA, winning a WAFL premiership with Claremont in 1964 and on to a career as a leading public servant.
Irwin Lewis' life reminds us that all Australians win when we open the doors of opportunity.
A Voice to Parliament will make that door a bit wider with advice on how we get even more First Nations people into our universities and TAFEs.
Starting early by making a practical difference on things such as school attendance.
So many of those doors have been opened right here in WA.
Ernie Bridge was not only the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person elected to the WA Parliament.
He was Australia's first Indigenous minister. Ernie then made more history as the first Indigenous member of an Australian cabinet.
"Politics can be . . . tough," was the advice from Sir Charles Court when Ernie accepted pre-selection in the late 70s.
Ernie later said he had no idea just how tough it'd be.
Ernie was a fighter. For the Kimberley. For the people of our State. Ernie's inspiring efforts across two decades helped to make WA politics a more inclusive and representative place.
Yet in breaking the mould, Ernie was still focused on practical action, like ensuring clean drinking water for his community. A Voice to Parliament will be the same. Giving practical advice on things like housing and health.
His successors in the seat of Kimberley have been proud First Nations women: Carol Martin, Josie Farrer and Divina D'Anna.
Ernie Bridge opened a door to a new kind of representation.
To a different perspective. A different voice. And we are all better for it.
More recently, we have seen Ken Wyatt and then Linda Burney make history in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile in the Senate, another great West Australian, Senator Pat Dodson, guides us towards more reconciled future. Again, we are all the better for it.
Then in 2015, with nothing to fear, Colin Barnett accepted an amendment to the WA Constitution that committed our State to reconciliation.
A powerful statement that "the said Parliament seeks to effect a reconciliation with the Aboriginal people of WA".
It is this proud history that gives me hope that we will as a State support constitutional recognition. Because our Constitution is not written in stone, unable to grow as our nation does. It is written by the vote of the Australian people.
The people of Australia know that our competent Government can deliver our commitments and can be trusted to deliver constitutional recognition.
The vehicle for that recognition is the Voice - an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory body, representing First Nations communities across Australia.
It will not have a veto over government but it will offer new ways to close the gap.
The idea for a Voice comes from First Nations people themselves and represents decades of work towards recognition.
The truth is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians knew it would be difficult. That's why at Uluru in 2015 they asked the rest of the nation to walk alongside them.
Just like Irwin Lewis knew, just like Ernie Bridge knew: change does not just happen. It takes hard work.
This week national campaign director for Yes23, Dean Parkin, joined myself and 50 volunteers.
He spoke about the six years since the generous invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The decades long movement for First Nations recognition.
Then he said to all of us: "you are now part of this movement".
A movement to open the doors of opportunity by knocking on the doors of Australians.
All Australians have to do is write three letters. Y-E-S.
