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Neve Brissenden, Maeve Bannister and Dominic Giannini

'Yes' campaign to remain positive in face of negativity

Anthony Albanese and Noel Pearson (right) joined a "yarn around the table" voice event in Sydney. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)

With less than one month to go until Australians vote in their first referendum in 24 years, the prime minister has reiterated the "yes" campaign will continue to remain positive.

After another bruising week in federal parliament, which Indigenous Australians minister Linda Burney admitted had taken a personal toll, voice supporters hope clear air without sitting weeks will contribute to their success.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the 'yes' campaign would continue its strategy of positivity to promote the voice as an opportunity to recognise Indigenous people - and listen to them.

"What we need to do to secure a vote for 'yes' is to continue to run a positive campaign," he told reporters in Coffs Harbour on Saturday morning.

"We will continue to present this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to lift up this and future generations and to close the gap."

Australians will go to the ballot box on October 14, when they will be asked whether they want to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by enshrining an Indigenous consultative body in the constitution.

Mr Albanese was joined by 'yes' campaigner Noel Pearson at a rally in Sydney's inner west on Saturday afternoon, attended by more than 200 people.

"This is just an advisory body, nothing scary, nothing to be fearful of," Mr Albanese said.

"It's an advisory body that will have the power of its ideas."

In an opinion piece, Treasurer Jim Chalmers called out the 'no' campaign for stirring up division and false claims and using scare tactics. 

"We shouldn’t kick the can down the road and leave this issue to our kids or our grandkids to sort out," he wrote in the article published by the Gold Coast Bulletin.

"By failing to act, the generational opportunity that we'll have in October will instead become a generational buck pass."

The tail end of the final parliament sitting week before the referendum was dominated by accusations of racism levelled at the 'yes' and 'no' camps as both blamed the other for trying to divide the nation. 

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has pledged to hold a second referendum purely addressing constitutional recognition if elected.

He said he didn't necessarily want a second vote, but was looking for reconciliation.

"I don't believe people, if they vote 'no' on October 14, are voting against helping Indigenous Australians," the Liberal leader said.

"I don't believe they're voting against recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution, but they are voting against the voice."

Recent polls are showing support for the 'yes' vote slipping since the official launch of the campaign.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said it was wrong to think the prospects of success were over, but Australians were approaching a "crunch point" to make up their minds. 

"Notwithstanding our political differences, most Australians believe that we've got more in common with each other than difference and that's not the case in America or many parts of Europe," he said. 

"People have got every right to make up their own mind about how they want to vote, but this is good change for the country that won't upset democratic traditions."

Thousands of Australians are turning out at "walk for yes" events across the country as rock legends prepare to lend their voices to the chorus of supporters.

Paul Kelly, Peter Garrett, Dan Sultan, Missy Higgins, Bernard Fanning, Spiderbait and John Butler will perform across the weekend.

Yes23 campaign director Dean Parkin said the events - which mark the start of a parliament-free run-up to voting day - would be a unifying moment for the 'yes' camp.

“We are a people-powered campaign and this will be on show over the weekend as Australians from all walks of life show their support for a 'yes' vote," he said.

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