UNE is hosting the Attorney General Mark Dreyfus for lecture

The evening's theme is 'A Voice to Parliament', and will take place on September 26, only weeks out from the October 14 referendum for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.

The annual event has in the past hosted lectures from the Hon Michael Kirby in 2018 and The Honourable Fred Chaney AO, who delivered a presentation on the significance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2019.

Mark Dreyfus was sworn in as Attorney-General in June 2022 following the 2022 Australian federal election. He is the first law officer of the Commonwealth of Australia.

Mr Dreyfus was first elected to the House of Representatives as a member for Isaacs (Victoria) in 2007. Prior to entering Parliament, Mark was a field officer for the Darwin-based Northern Land Council, a ministerial advisor to the Victorian Attorney General and a practising solicitor and barrister.

He was appointed Queens Counsel in 1999 appearing for and advising Federal, State and local governments.

He appeared as counsel in a number of landmark cases in the High Court of Australia, including involving the implied freedom of political communication and the Stolen Generation Litigations.

Mr Dreyfus is a graduate of the University of Melbourne in Arts and Law.

His maiden speech to Parliament in 2014 reflected upon his experiences working for and with indigenous Australians and his concerns for the environment.

"I have worked with and for Aboriginal people, particularly in the Northern Territory. Aboriginal people have taught me a great deal about the importance of family and, not least, about looking at the land. I wish every Australian could have the experiences I had as a young man of going bush with people who can read the land like a book as they pass through it," he said.

A recent survey shows 43 per cent of respondents plan to vote 'yes' to an indigenous voice with overall support sliding to new lows in every state except Tasmania.

The percentage of Australians in favour of the referendum has dropped for the fifth month in a row.

Voice signatory Tomas Mayo recently described the 'Voice' campaign as one of the biggest of our lifetimes and delivered a packed presentation to the Armidale Town Hall.

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Locally, letters arriving in voters' mailboxes discouraging them from showing their support with a 'Yes' sign on their property have come to light.

Door knockers are also doing the rounds and pamphlets have started hitting letterboxes.

The Attorney-General's public lecture can be attended in person at the Belshaw Lecture Theatre and can also be viewed via a Zoom webinar. You can register here.

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