The Voice will represent “the vibrant diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from all over Australia and give voice to our shared needs, hopes and dreams of a better future”.
That’s according to Jill Gallagher AO, Chief Executive of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and Rodney Carter, Chief Executive of the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Co-Convenor of the Elders Voice to the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, who explain below why they are urging a Yes vote in the referendum.
Jill Gallagher and Rodney Carter write:
When we were born, neither of us were counted as people. Our ancestors had lived here for 60,000 years but Australia didn’t want us to be a part of this new country.
That changed with the 1967 referendum. We were already aged two and twelve years old before we were counted as people.
After we were included, people were unsure what Australia should do to fully recognise Aboriginal people and our culture. So the government appointed a Council for Aboriginal Affairs, which was comprised of three men – an economist, an anthropologist and a former Ambassador to Laos. None of these men were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Gough Whitlam’s government changed this by creating a National Aboriginal Consultative Committee made up of 41 members elected by Aboriginal people.
That didn’t last long though as it was abolished by the next government that came to power led by Malcolm Fraser. He appointed his own advisory committee, which Bob Hawke then abolished.
Prime Ministers Howard and Abbott appointed their own advisory councils, while Rudd and Gillard declined to fund the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples.
Under Morrison, we went back to where we were in 1967 – a non-Indigenous man, this time Tony Abbott, was appointed to advise Government on Aboriginal affairs.
Better outcomes
The Voice is our chance to choose our own people to represent us, rather than people handpicked by the government of the day. By enshrining it in the Constitution, it’s also a chance to ensure it can’t just be swept away by future governments.
Hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people gathered at Uluru, after a dozen regional conventions, to call for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. This Voice would be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to advise Parliament on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.
We are a part of this country and we are asking to bring our voice into it. A Voice that brings together the 60,000 years of wisdom and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia.
When Parliament is discussing legislation, when public servants are coming up with policies, when Ministers are deciding where to spend money, our Voice can help make those decisions better.
Nobody knows us better than us, so we should be involved. When governments are making decisions about a group of Aboriginal people, outcomes are always better when they listen to us.
We want to come to you with ideas for how we can create thriving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities throughout Australia. Like you, we want to see all Australians advance and prosper.
Vibrant diversity
People sometimes ask us what the Voice will look like.
It will look like Aboriginal people from all over Australia – Larrakia people up in Darwin, Noongar people over in Western Australia, Wiradjuri people from NSW, Dja Dja Wurrung people from Bendigo – choosing who will speak for us.
It will represent the vibrant diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities from all over Australia and give voice to our shared needs, hopes and dreams of a better future.
Democracy, and government, works best when people choose their own representatives who can give impartial advice without fear of being sacked for doing so. We’ve already had one elected body abolished, which is why it’s important to have this one in the Constitution.
We were counted in Australia after the 1967 referendum and this is our home – there is no other country we want to be a part of. Our Aboriginal culture, language, art and dance is found only here, in the red soil, the lush rainforests, the sandy beaches, and the outback bush of Australia.
And it is because it is unique, because it is part of what makes Australia unique, that it should be recognised, respected and shared by everyone who now calls this place home.
We want all Australians to feel connected to our history and culture. Our dream is that all our children grow up proud of this country’s Aboriginal history, learning words of our language and understanding the culture of our Elders.
The Uluru Statement could nearly be renamed the Uluru Invitation because at Uluru our people invited you to walk with us to create a better future. A better future for all Australians.
This referendum is your chance to accept that invitation.
Eighty percent of Aboriginal people support the Voice and we hope that eighty percent of all Australians will support it on referendum day.
Please, vote yes.
• Jill Gallagher AO, Chief Executive of Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and signatory to the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
• Rodney Carter, Chief Executive of the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation, Co-Convenor of the Elders Voice to the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria
See Croakey’s portal on the Voice, compiling articles, resources and statements
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