Let our Voice be heard
HE declared it a priority of his first term of government and this weekend provides Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the perfect opportunity to advance his call for giving Indigenous Australians official recognition in the Constitution.
Indigenous leaders are hoping Mr Albanese uses his appearance at the Garma Festival in the Northern Territory on Saturday to also throw his support behind Voice to Parliament – a movement pushing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to be allowed to comment on proposed laws and policies affecting their communities.
The government plans to hold a referendum on recognising Indigenous Australians in the Constitution in its first term – most likely in 2023 – something From the Heart campaign director Dean Parkin has been working towards.
“The most meaningful way to do this is to have a Voice to Parliament guaranteed in the Constitution,” Mr Parkin said.
“This would be the best way to powerfully symbolise and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples as the First Nations people and make progress with problems on the ground for our families and our women.”
He said allowing Indigenous people to have a say could help close the gap on issues such as education, health, children in out of home care, family violence and deaths in custody.
“Women, in particular,
have been trying to have their voices heard on these really complex issues,” he said.
“The thing that has been missing is listening to these voices.”
Mr Parkin said it would also lead to “more accountability in the money spent in our name making sure it’s having the impact that it says it’s going to have”.
“Politicians and bureaucrats in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne have good intentions, but they don’t understand how the dynamics of the culture and history in places like Halls Creek in WA or even Mt Druitt,” he said.
A previous report suggested a Voice to Parliament advisory national panel of about 24 Indigenous people offering their non-binding opinions on issues that impact their communities was a workable idea.
But there are differing views within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities about the proposal.
Indigenous leaders from both sides of politics have argued that getting more Indigenous MPs in parliament was a better way to represent the community than a
non-binding panel.
Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said in her maiden speech to the Senate on Monday that she was against “pointless virtue signalling” and said tackling issues such as housing, women’s safety and economic development in Indigenous communities was a higher priority than a Voice to Parliament.
“This government has yet to demonstrate how this proposed Voice will deliver practical outcomes and unite rather than drive a wedge further between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia,” Senator Price said.
The 47th parliament has 11 First Nations members, the highest yet.
Mr Parkin said he respected Senator Price, but polling showed there was a huge amount of goodwill for a Voice, with more than half of the Australian population supportive of it, although a quarter was still to “fully engage with this issue”.
Labor Senator Pat Dodson has been put in charge of building a consensus in the run up to the referendum.
Mr Albanese’s spokesman said the government would not be rushed on the timing.