The Greek-Australian Society (GAS) will hold a panel conversation, ‘Greek-Australians and the Voice to Parliament’, on Monday, September 18.

In a media release on Friday, GAS said that it was preparing its members and the “broader Greek-Australian community” in NSW with the “tools” to make an informed decision on the October 14 Referendum.

GAS President Ellie Stamatelatos, in the release, said that voting is the “cornerstone of democracy, a political and social process that we each hold dear as Greek-Australians.”

“Unfortunately, facets of both the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns for the upcoming referendum are proving quite divisive, and disinformation is rife.”

She highlighted that “divisiveness will be detrimental to Indigenous Australians, and it is indeed proving detrimental to broader social cohesiveness.”

“GAS intends to cut through the noise, equipping our members and community with the tools to make an informed decision that they can be comfortable with when they vote”, in the Referendum of October 14. George Mpliokas, the Secretary of GAS, said that the Voice referendum “has the power to shape the future of our nation,” adding that Greek-Australian communities “have an active role to play in this national conversation”.

“Sometimes it’s not easy when we are passionate about issues, but I’m proud of our entire membership at GAS that we can come together, have a meaningful conversation and set a positive example of how Greek-Australians can make a difference in modern Australia,” Mpliokas said.

Greek-Australians and the Voice to Parliament panel consists of Dr Shireen Morris, Senior Lecturer in constitutional law at Macquarie University and Director of the Radical Centre Reform Lab, Mark Coure MP, and Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism in NSW, Peter Doukas OAM, the Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council NSW , and Ken Zulumovski DHSc, Kira-Dhan Gubbi-Gubbi man, former Australian Army Reservist and founder of Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources (GUIR.).

Dr Morris has spoken extensively on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, contributing recently to The Australian and Financial Review, appearing on ABC’s Q+A program and travelling across the country advocating for the Yes campaign.

Coure has been the N.S.W. Member for Oatley since 2011 and served as Minister for Multiculturalism in the LNP Perrottet government between 2021 and March 2023. He has maintained considerable relationships with Greek-Australian and other multicultural communities within his diverse electorate and NSW.

Doukas is the Principal of Sydney-based Commercial and Education law firm Denison Toyer and was elected as the youngest-ever Chair of the Ethnic Communities Council NSW in 2013 and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to multiculturalism.

Zulumovski DHSc is a Kira-Dhan Gubbi-Gubbi man who served as a soldier in the Australian Army Reserve for eight years, is the founder and managing director of Gamarada Universal Indigenous Resources (GUIR.) and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Health Sciences from the University of Sydney. Registration for Monday’s forum is available at: www.gas.org.au/events