Voice to Parliament

The Voice to Parliament as I see it ...

Our First Peoples have requested recognition of them in the Constitution. They have requested that the recognition be more than symbolic - that it be substantive. The form of recognition needs to pass the test that our First Peoples feel recognised. It is not for me or us as Second Peoples to dictate what should or should not constitute substantive recognition. The proposed changes to our constitution, incorporating the requirement to establish the Voice to Parliament fulfil the request made in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a call and invitation by our First Peoples.

Contrary to the claims being made about racial discrimination and re-racialising Australia, the Voice addresses recognition of and consultation with our First Peoples, a group of people who are part of a global cohort that crosses racial boundaries. This global cohort experiences a range of diminished outcomes, including those in relation to education, health, justice and economic wellbeing. The Voice takes us as Australians a further step forward in fulfilling our obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, existing in harmony with UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The Voice will only divide and re-racialise us if we choose to see it as race-based and divisive, rather than recognising its real foundations in relating to First Peoples.

The proposed changes and level of detail seem appropriate to our Constitution. Additional detail should be established through legislation. Again, it is not for me or us as Second Peoples to designate or dictate how the Voice should be designed and subsequently operated. It will be a channel for our First Peoples and must be seen and experienced as appropriate and effective, by them not by me or my fellow Second Peoples. The provision of additional principles to guide its design provides valuable assurance, and the commitment to Indigenous engagement in the design and subsequent legislative provides a sound basis for advancing the design, formation and operation of the Voice.

The Voice will contribute to making a difference. No single initiative or mechanism will make a difference and close the gap. Greater engagement in policy development and delivery is well recognised as a powerful contributor to improved outcomes. The Voice will need to prioritise where it directs its time and attention. I look forward to learning where it deems the most attention needs to be given.

On the matter of perceived risks, it is important to understand that it is often not possible to eliminate risks, but it is feasible to reduce the likelihood or consequences of identified risks. It is also important to consider the range of risks of taking / not taking a proposed action, rather than focusing on any individual perceived risk.

The Referendum invites us, as Australians, to take a further step towards reconciliation, to becoming an inclusive nation, where we recognise our First Peoples, and all that they offer to the future of our nation, where we are able to tell stories of our mutual 60,000 year heritage that more accurately reflect the journey and achievements of our First Peoples, and the tragedies that occurred in the mistreatment of First Peoples by Second Peoples in the more than two centuries post settlement and colonisation of Australia.