Brooke Boney ended Channel 9’s Voice to Parliament referendum coverage with an emotional plea to Indigenous Australians.
All six states have said no to the Voice to Parliament, with 60 per cent of Australians voting against it on Saturday according to current polling numbers.
Ms Boney, a Kamilaroi woman, took part of the live TV coverage of the historic referendum on Saturday night.
Once the results were in, she explained why she wanted to be the one to tell the nation of the results, despite the No result marking a sad day for many Indigenous Australians.
“I wanted to be here to remind you all of the love we have for one another – a love that has served us for the last 60,000 years to be the longest-continuing culture of anywhere in the world. That does not happen by accident,” she said.
The presenter acknowledged the divisive nature of the campaign before urging Indigenous Australians to not give up on political reform.
“This is a discussion that has, at times, been inspiring and at times been ugly. We’ve seen the best and the worst of people during this campaign.
“As the sun sets on polling day, it will rise again tomorrow and our work continues – to make sure our babies are loved, our Elders are cared for and our community is strong.
“To all of you at home tonight, I say goodnight.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted that the results did not divide Australians.
“We are not yes voters or no voters — we are all Australian,” he said.
“We must take our country beyond this debate, without forgetting while we had it in the first place.”
Mr Albanese held back tears as he spoke about the loss, appearing to blame the Liberal Party for the loss.
“The analysis will go on for some time. me, no doubt. But the truth is that no referendum has succeeded without bipartisan support in this country,’’ he said.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney wept as she spoke after the defeat was called.
“I know the last few months have been rough,’’ she said.
“Be proud of the 65,000 years of history and culture. We will carry on and we’ll move forward. This is not the end of reconciliation.”