NAB welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of a potential referendum question as a crucial step toward the official acknowledgment of First Nations people in Australia’s founding document.

“It is time to recognise the rightful place of Indigenous Australians as the First People of this country, and enable and empower them to participate in shared decision making that impact their communities through the Voice,” NAB CEO Ross McEwan said.

Mr McEwan welcomed the simplicity of the Prime Minister’s proposal and encouraged other business leaders to add their voices of support ahead of the vote.

“Customers and colleagues should better understand what’s being asked at the ballot, why and what the impact would be,” Mr McEwan said.

“Business has a role to play in supporting the financial, career and business aspirations of First Nations people.

“NAB’s Indigenous customers and colleagues tell us they want to be empowered, in every aspect, and they see the support of their bank on this matter as critical to closing the gap and supporting their economic and social aspirations.”

After pledging its support to the ‘From the Heart’ campaign in July, NAB is continuing to encourage customers, colleagues, shareholders and community partners to listen and understand the issues impacting Indigenous Australians, so they can make an informed decision.

NAB gave $200,000 to the campaign, which is leading the call to the Australian public to come together and vote in favour of the change to the constitution.

NAB will continue to explore ways to educate colleagues and customers on what constitutional recognition entails, and why its adoption will enable Australia to become a more united and reconciled country.

Other initiatives at NAB to support Indigenous Australians include:

• Financial Inclusion partnership with Good Shepherd: More than 7,300 fair and affordable microfinance loans were accessed by Indigenous Australians in 2021 through the NAB and Good Shepherd partnership.
• Indigenous Customer Help Line: NAB has a dedicated customer service line to better support access for Indigenous Australians, particularly those who live in remote parts of Australia. To access this support line, customers may call the Indigenous Customer Service Line directly on 1800 966 100.  We also have dedicated team offering Indigenous banking services.
• Career Trackers/Traineeships: We know that having meaningful employment improves many aspects of an individual’s life. At NAB, we’re committed to offering a range of employment options, including school-based and full-time traineeships, internships, and general recruitment for Indigenous Australians. Find out more about our different Indigenous employment streams.
• The Gari Yala (Speak the Truth) Report: The NAB sponsored report / survey of more than 1,000 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander workers across Australia revealed frequent experiences of racism and a lack of cultural safety experienced by Indigenous people across Australian workplaces.

Earlier this year, NAB engaged leading Indigenous designer, Marcus Lee, to create an alternative design to the bank’s logo. The colours in the star equally represent the colours from the Aboriginal flag, the Torres Strait Islander flag and NAB’s brand colours.

The “Walking Together” star will be displayed at NAB branches and offices over the coming months as part of activities to demonstrate support for constitutional change.