Opinion | Hard work on The Voice to Parliament has already been extensive

It also signals a lack of goodwill to engage in the conversations about the Voice and entrenchment of a view based on the falsity that there is a ‘lack of detail’.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart, delivered in May 2017, contains the aspirational statement:

“We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.”

The Statement called for structural reforms including a constitutional change to establish a Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Constitution.

The Voice to Parliament would empower First Nations peoples to have input into any laws and policies that impact them.

It would be a permanent institution that will provide advice to the parliament and government on important issues.

It is a reform that has long been called for and that is long overdue.

In the context of the comments of the National Party’s leaders and our local representative, it is important to take some time to understand the steps that have been taken in relation to the Voice to Parliament up to now.

In November 2018, the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Change handed down its final report.

It stated: “The key point of this report is that The Voice should become a reality, that it will be co-designed with government by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples right across the nation.”

On October 30, 2019, the then Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt announced the beginning of the Indigenous Voice Co-design process.

Stage one of the co-design process involved three co-design groups, involving 52 members from around the country.

They worked to develop the detail of what an Indigenous Voice could look like and how it could work.

The interim report was handed down in October 2020 and included initial proposals for a National Voice and Local and Regional Voices.

The layered approach reflected the diversity of communities across the country and the importance of having “avenues to enhance local and regional decision-making and regional governance through a principles-based framework”.

The interim report went on to state: “It will ensure we as a people are heard at all levels because no one level of government has sole responsibility for delivery of the programs, tools or funding that are needed to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

The second stage of this process — running over four months from January 9, 2021 — involved public consultation and engagement around the country on the proposals developed in stage one.

All Australians had an opportunity to have their say.

More than 9400 people and organisations participated in this process.

It included 115 community consultation sessions in 67 locations with more than 2600 participants, 13 webinars with more than 1450 participants, more than 4000 submissions and surveys lodged and more than 1200 participants across more than 120 stakeholder meetings.

Feedback from these consultations overwhelmingly supported the need for a Voice to Parliament and the layered approach to the structure of the Voice.

There was also a clear desire for consultation and co-design to continue through the implementation stage and strong support for the Indigenous Voice to have security and longevity.

This is one of the most significant engagements with the Australian community on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs in recent history.

The Indigenous Co-design process final report was presented to the Australian Government in July 2021.

The report states: “We heard in chorus — from our own people, along with non-Indigenous Australians — how much it would mean for Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples to have our voices heard. The importance of what we propose cannot be understated.”

This support has been confirmed by Reconciliation Australia’s 2022 Australian Reconciliation Barometer, released on November 22.

The barometer showed 81 per cent of Australians believe it is important to protect an Indigenous Body within the Constitution, that cannot be removed by any government.

It also showed that 95 per cent of Australians believe it is important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to have a say in matters that affect them.

When announcing the decision to oppose the Voice, National Party leader David Littleproud stated that there was a lack of detail.

This argument was repeated last Friday by our local federal member Sam Birrell in the Shepparton News.

Mr Wyatt questioned the Nationals’ assertion about this lack of detail in an interview on ABC Radio National last week.

Mr Wyatt said he “… took this (final Indigenous co-design process) report to Cabinet twice so people who were ministers of the time would be fully aware of this report, and what is obvious is they have not read the report and not given an Aboriginal Voice to Parliament an opportunity to be aired and listened to”.

He went on to say: “They should still have (that report).”

It is clear the Nationals have not read the report.

When questioned further, Mr Wyatt directed people to “go to the National Indigenous Australians Agency, download the report on the Voice and go to … pages 16 to 19. That is the detail.”

It is clear there has been enormous work on the Voice to Parliament.

What is unclear is why the Nationals have made such a peremptory rejection of the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, based on what they claim is a “lack of detail”.

As the co-design process final report states: “It is very clear that an Indigenous Voice is a necessary, pragmatic and natural step for our country as we work towards creating a better shared future for all Australians.”

What is so profoundly disappointing with the Nationals’ position, is it appears to be a purely political manoeuvre.

There is no sign of any open-hearted willingness to continue the conversation or even be part of it.

We expect more of our politicians. In fact, we should demand more of those who are elected to represent us — not their party interests.

The response to Mr Littleproud’s announcement from the Western Australian Nationals’ branch leader Mia Davies and Nationals Member for Calare Andrew Gee was heartening.

“I’m respectful of the decision their party room has made, it doesn’t necessarily align to how the Nationals in Western Australia have approached this issue,” MS Davies told ABC Perth radio.

But it is Mr Gee, who demonstrated the sort of response we expect from our representatives.

“So yes, there is still a heck of a lot of hard work to do. To achieve a voice we’ll need that as well as goodwill, open minds and generosity of spirit.”

“Goodwill, open minds and generosity of spirit.”

And a respect for the responsibility of government and a commitment to work in the interests of us all.

The work towards an Indigenous Voice to Parliament is a historic opportunity to be part of real nation-building, to put party politics aside and come together to deliver real change, not just for the First Nations peoples of this land, but for us all as a nation.

It is time for First Nations peoples to take a rightful place in our nation.

Remember, it is not politicians who will vote on the Voice, it is the people of Australia. It is you.

So be informed, find out, read the Indigenous Co-design process final report Mr Wyatt took to Federal Cabinet not once, but twice.

https://aph.org.au/2022/03/review-of-the-the-indigenous-voice-co-design-process-final-report-to-the-australian-government/

Listen to Mr Wyatt’s interview on ABC Radio National: www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/nationals-opposition-to-the-voice-extremely-disappointing-wyatt/101714474

Read the co-design interim report: https://fromtheheart.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/indigenous-voice-codesign-process-interim-report-2020.pdf

Learn more: https://fromtheheart.com.au/education/#/ and https://ulurustatement.org/education/resources/

Read Thomas Mayor’s book: Finding the Heart of the Nation. It’s available at your local library.