Australia is in the unique position of having powerful elected Indigenous women in the Federal Parliament as champions of both the Yes and No votes in relation to the Voice and the upcoming referendum.

They hold the power to not only affect the outcome of the referendum, but also set the policies and actions for Indigenous Affairs for decades to come.

Talk of Federal Opposition Leader Dutton kicking an own goal when he opposed the Voice in its current wording was turned upside down when he announced that Indigenous women Jacinta Price and Kerrynne Liddle have been named Shadow Ministers for Indigenous Affairs and Child Protection respectively.

Price and Liddle are formidable and for years have been on the front line, grappling with the plague of problems that Indigenous Australians grapple with on a daily basis.

With this one move Dutton has used his best party colleagues to further the cause of the No vote with credible spokespersons who are not frightened of making their opinions known.

On the Yes side of the equation Minister Linda Burney, Marion Scrymgour MP, Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and Senator Jana Stewart are strong principled women who have the courage of their convictions and have also been tireless in their efforts to secure better outcomes for Indigenous Peoples across Australia.

As members of the government, they are committed to securing the outcomes that they feel will serve the needs of Indigenous People best. They will not back down from their belief that a Yes vote is the best way forward.

The Greens Senator Dorinda Cox, who is spokesperson for the Greens Party on Indigenous Affairs, has a degree of leverage over both the Government and Coalition parties. They will both be lobbying her for support, particularly if there are to be further changes to the wording of the referendum. Cox is smart and savvy, she will be trying to secure the best possible outcome for the long term and will not back down from a confrontation with either the government or the Coalition.

Senator Jacqui Lambie has always been strong in her views and is not afraid of standing by her principles. As an independent she has an ability to influence the electorate by not being beholden to a party machine.

Lambie's support will be sought after and her opinion heard. As a long-term member of the cross bench, Lambie knows how to optimise any proposals that are presented to her and is prudent and thoughtful before making a decision that she thinks will serve the electorate best.

Finally, there is the maverick Lidia Thorpe. It must be acknowledged that in spite of her theatrics, Thorpe has a devoted following who will stick with her through thick and thin. As an independent there is no doubt she will strongly make her views known and will have an influence on the outcome of the Voice referendum. It is predicted that the poll numbers will tighten and every vote will count. Thorpe may have the numbers to influence the outcome one way or another.

One thing is for certain - as of today, the Voice issue will not be the same. The rhetoric will intensify and in the main the most powerful and influential messaging will come from powerful Indigenous women who have been elected to Parliament, who in the past have fought a good fight, and will continue to fight for the values in which they wholeheartedly believe.

Whatever the outcome of the Voice referendum, the fact that Indigenous women have become giants of the Australian political landscape is a powerful outcome.

Clinton Wolf and Wayne Bergmann are co-owners of the National Indigenous Times