Latest news with #FirstPeoples'AssemblyofVictoria
The Advertiser
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Yoorrook inquiry's call for redress not off the table
A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A landmark truth-telling inquiry's call for redress for the post-colonisation pain and suffering of Aboriginal people has not been ruled out. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports feature 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation in 1834. The Australian-first Indigenous truth-telling body calls on the Victorian government to provide redress for injustices. It suggested redress could take the form of restitution of traditional land, monetary compensation, tax relief or other financial benefits. Other recommendations include shifting prison healthcare from the justice department to the health department, more cash to First Peoples-led health services and establishing independent funding streams for the state's self-determination fund. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated none of the ideas were off the table, refusing to rule in or out any of the recommendations. "We're going to take our time to consider and respond to the report," she told reporters on Wednesday. "I am not going to respond to the individual recommendations or the report as a whole through individual questions at a press conference. "That would not do justice to the years and years of work and evidence." Yoorrook held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. It found there were at least 50 massacres across Victoria by the end of the 1860s, with eight colonists killed compared to 978 First Nations people. The mass killings combined with disease, sexual violence, exclusion, eradication of language, cultural erasure, environmental degradation, child removal, absorption and assimilation brought about the "near-complete physical destruction" of Aboriginal people in Victoria. The "decimation" of the population by 1901 was the result of "a coordinated plan of different actions aimed at the destruction of the essential foundations of the life of national groups". "This was genocide," one of the documents read. Ms Allan said the findings made for "tough reading" because they "tell the truth" about how the state was colonised. The recommendations will inform treaty talks between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, with enabling legislation expected to be introduced later in 2025. Ms Allan said reparations were not up for discussion as part of treaty talks amid backlash over Yoorrook's findings and recommendations. "I'm not focused on people who want to divide people," she said. First Peoples' Assembly member Nerita Waight warned Ms Allan not to let Yoorrook's work go ignored, as politicians have done with previous major Aboriginal-related inquiries. "The truth has been told and now the government has an obligation to act," the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive said. Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe called on the federal government to press on with national truth and treaty processes. "Genocide has not just occurred in Victoria, but has been perpetrated against all First Peoples of this continent," she said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promised to set up a "Makarrata Commission to oversee a national process for treaty and truth-telling" in 2021. His government allocated $5.8 million to commence work on establishing the independent commission, but it has not materialised after the failed voice to parliament referendum in 2023. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Hundreds spoke their truths on impact of colonisation
WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Hundreds spoke their truths on impact of colonisation
WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'We should not be having race-based assemblies': Warren Mundine hits out at Victorian government over state-based Voice push
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine has hit out at the Victorian government over its move to create its own Voice to Parliament after the state resoundingly voted against such a constitutional change two years ago. The Herald Sun on Monday revealed the Allan government was planning to transform an Indigenous representative body set up as part of the state's Treaty process into its own Voice. The First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, comprising of 33 members, was established by Labor in 2018 to represent the state's Indigenous population during treaty negotiations. However, the Allan government is planning to strengthen its powers and make the body permanent, creating what is likely to be the equivalent of a state-based Voice to Parliament. The move comes despite more than 54 per cent of Victorians voting No during the Voice to Parliament referendum in October 2023. Mr Mundine, a leading No campaigner during the referendum, took aim at the idea of establishing what he described as "race-based assemblies". "What it says is that their government has failed. It has failed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that are living in Victoria," he told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio. "They should be held accountable for that - that's number one." Mr Mundine then recalled the journey of Indigenous Australians who have been fighting for equal representation for decades. "When I was a young boy growing up... we all fought, my parents, my grandparents - we all fought to be treated equal," he said. "We wanted all those Aboriginal laws that segregated us and that to be dealt with and done away." Mr Mundine noted the prominent law change under Menzies government in 1962 which gave adult Indigenous Australians full voting rights. Five years later in the 1967 referendum, Australians voted to change the constitution to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would be acknowledged as equal citizens. "(In) 1967, the Holt government. We were citizens of this country, but the states and territories were still holding us back. We got rid of all that, we've become full citizens," Mr Mundine said. "You have education, you have land rights, you have native titles, you have business and economic development. "In fact, I know some businesses have just gone over to India to actually do business and that over there. "We've got a whole wide range of great things that are happening in this country because we want to be treated the same as every other Australian. We should not be having race-based assemblies." All six states, or 60 per cent of Australians in terms of a national vote, rejected the proposal to change the constitution to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the 2023. The state with the highest No vote was Queensland with 68 per cent, followed by South Australia at 64 per cent and Western Australia with 63 per cent. In New South Wales and Tasmania, about 58 per cent of people voted against the constitutional change in each state. "The number of people who have rejected this idea... I just find it bizarre," Mr Mundine said, regarding the Victorian government's move. Speaking to media on Monday, Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan dismissed the suggestion that Victorians had rejected a state-based Voice. "The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the constitution," the Premier said. "This is not changing the Victorian constitution. It's simply taking a common-sense approach. It's sitting the First People's Assembly, an ongoing representative body, into our existing parliamentary structures. "The significant change is it'll be a body where we will be listening and taking on their advice." The government has not yet detailed what powers it will give the body.
The Advertiser
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Second state set for own Indigenous voice to parliament
A permanent Indigenous voice to parliament is on its way for another Australian state but won't be written into its constitution as a treaty deal nears. Victoria is set to follow South Australia in establishing a state-based, democratically elected body to provide advice on laws and policies related to Aboriginal people. The creation of the ongoing body has been on the table since January as part of treaty talks between the state government and First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated it was likely to be agreed to and, unlike the failed federal voice, would not require constitutional change. "The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the constitution," she told reporters on Monday. "This is not changing the Victorian constitution." Victoria recorded the highest 'yes' vote of any state at 45.85 per cent in the 2023 referendum. The ACT (61.3 per cent) was the only state or territory to back the proposal. SA is the only jurisdiction to legislate a state-based, democratically elected body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The SA Voice is made up of 46 Aboriginal members elected across six regional districts. A statewide Victorian treaty is expected to be struck later in 2025, with enabling legislation to then go before parliament. The Victorian opposition withdrew its support for treaty in January 2024 following the failed referendum, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws. It means the Labor government will need the support of as many as six upper-house crossbench MPs for the treaty agreement. Treaty negotiations have centred on making sure Aboriginal Victorians could make decisions on matters that impacted their mob, assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said. Mr Berg said the talks also covered the assembly playing an ongoing role in truth-telling, keeping government accountable and developing leadership capability for its people. "Treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are the experts on our own lives," the Gunditjmara man said. Ms Allan pointed out the assembly, which essentially already performs the same function as a state-based voice, has been operating since 2018. After "decade after decade" of stagnating and worsening outcomes for Indigenous people, the premier is pleading for a change of approach. "It's not acceptable ... that the rate of Indigenous kids finishing education is something like 57 per cent, far far below the statewide average," Ms Allan said. "That the number of Indigenous people accessing homelessness services has gone up, that the number of Aboriginal women accessing breast screening has gone down." Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the coalition would not support a state voice to parliament, declaring it "flies in the face of democracy" following the referendum result. "I'll continue to stand with those Victorians and say the voice is not needed," he said. A permanent Indigenous voice to parliament is on its way for another Australian state but won't be written into its constitution as a treaty deal nears. Victoria is set to follow South Australia in establishing a state-based, democratically elected body to provide advice on laws and policies related to Aboriginal people. The creation of the ongoing body has been on the table since January as part of treaty talks between the state government and First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated it was likely to be agreed to and, unlike the failed federal voice, would not require constitutional change. "The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the constitution," she told reporters on Monday. "This is not changing the Victorian constitution." Victoria recorded the highest 'yes' vote of any state at 45.85 per cent in the 2023 referendum. The ACT (61.3 per cent) was the only state or territory to back the proposal. SA is the only jurisdiction to legislate a state-based, democratically elected body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The SA Voice is made up of 46 Aboriginal members elected across six regional districts. A statewide Victorian treaty is expected to be struck later in 2025, with enabling legislation to then go before parliament. The Victorian opposition withdrew its support for treaty in January 2024 following the failed referendum, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws. It means the Labor government will need the support of as many as six upper-house crossbench MPs for the treaty agreement. Treaty negotiations have centred on making sure Aboriginal Victorians could make decisions on matters that impacted their mob, assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said. Mr Berg said the talks also covered the assembly playing an ongoing role in truth-telling, keeping government accountable and developing leadership capability for its people. "Treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are the experts on our own lives," the Gunditjmara man said. Ms Allan pointed out the assembly, which essentially already performs the same function as a state-based voice, has been operating since 2018. After "decade after decade" of stagnating and worsening outcomes for Indigenous people, the premier is pleading for a change of approach. "It's not acceptable ... that the rate of Indigenous kids finishing education is something like 57 per cent, far far below the statewide average," Ms Allan said. "That the number of Indigenous people accessing homelessness services has gone up, that the number of Aboriginal women accessing breast screening has gone down." Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the coalition would not support a state voice to parliament, declaring it "flies in the face of democracy" following the referendum result. "I'll continue to stand with those Victorians and say the voice is not needed," he said. A permanent Indigenous voice to parliament is on its way for another Australian state but won't be written into its constitution as a treaty deal nears. Victoria is set to follow South Australia in establishing a state-based, democratically elected body to provide advice on laws and policies related to Aboriginal people. The creation of the ongoing body has been on the table since January as part of treaty talks between the state government and First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated it was likely to be agreed to and, unlike the failed federal voice, would not require constitutional change. "The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the constitution," she told reporters on Monday. "This is not changing the Victorian constitution." Victoria recorded the highest 'yes' vote of any state at 45.85 per cent in the 2023 referendum. The ACT (61.3 per cent) was the only state or territory to back the proposal. SA is the only jurisdiction to legislate a state-based, democratically elected body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The SA Voice is made up of 46 Aboriginal members elected across six regional districts. A statewide Victorian treaty is expected to be struck later in 2025, with enabling legislation to then go before parliament. The Victorian opposition withdrew its support for treaty in January 2024 following the failed referendum, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws. It means the Labor government will need the support of as many as six upper-house crossbench MPs for the treaty agreement. Treaty negotiations have centred on making sure Aboriginal Victorians could make decisions on matters that impacted their mob, assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said. Mr Berg said the talks also covered the assembly playing an ongoing role in truth-telling, keeping government accountable and developing leadership capability for its people. "Treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are the experts on our own lives," the Gunditjmara man said. Ms Allan pointed out the assembly, which essentially already performs the same function as a state-based voice, has been operating since 2018. After "decade after decade" of stagnating and worsening outcomes for Indigenous people, the premier is pleading for a change of approach. "It's not acceptable ... that the rate of Indigenous kids finishing education is something like 57 per cent, far far below the statewide average," Ms Allan said. "That the number of Indigenous people accessing homelessness services has gone up, that the number of Aboriginal women accessing breast screening has gone down." Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the coalition would not support a state voice to parliament, declaring it "flies in the face of democracy" following the referendum result. "I'll continue to stand with those Victorians and say the voice is not needed," he said. A permanent Indigenous voice to parliament is on its way for another Australian state but won't be written into its constitution as a treaty deal nears. Victoria is set to follow South Australia in establishing a state-based, democratically elected body to provide advice on laws and policies related to Aboriginal people. The creation of the ongoing body has been on the table since January as part of treaty talks between the state government and First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan indicated it was likely to be agreed to and, unlike the failed federal voice, would not require constitutional change. "The key difference to the referendum that was put nationwide a couple of years ago is that was changing the constitution," she told reporters on Monday. "This is not changing the Victorian constitution." Victoria recorded the highest 'yes' vote of any state at 45.85 per cent in the 2023 referendum. The ACT (61.3 per cent) was the only state or territory to back the proposal. SA is the only jurisdiction to legislate a state-based, democratically elected body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The SA Voice is made up of 46 Aboriginal members elected across six regional districts. A statewide Victorian treaty is expected to be struck later in 2025, with enabling legislation to then go before parliament. The Victorian opposition withdrew its support for treaty in January 2024 following the failed referendum, citing concerns about cultural heritage laws. It means the Labor government will need the support of as many as six upper-house crossbench MPs for the treaty agreement. Treaty negotiations have centred on making sure Aboriginal Victorians could make decisions on matters that impacted their mob, assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said. Mr Berg said the talks also covered the assembly playing an ongoing role in truth-telling, keeping government accountable and developing leadership capability for its people. "Treaty recognises that Aboriginal people are the experts on our own lives," the Gunditjmara man said. Ms Allan pointed out the assembly, which essentially already performs the same function as a state-based voice, has been operating since 2018. After "decade after decade" of stagnating and worsening outcomes for Indigenous people, the premier is pleading for a change of approach. "It's not acceptable ... that the rate of Indigenous kids finishing education is something like 57 per cent, far far below the statewide average," Ms Allan said. "That the number of Indigenous people accessing homelessness services has gone up, that the number of Aboriginal women accessing breast screening has gone down." Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the coalition would not support a state voice to parliament, declaring it "flies in the face of democracy" following the referendum result. "I'll continue to stand with those Victorians and say the voice is not needed," he said.
