Submission to support the three tenets of the Uluru Statement of the Heart
To The Australian Government
Thank you for the opportunity to add my voice in support of the call for a constitutionally
enshrined Voice to Parliament to give First Nations People true representation in
decision making and associated legislation, the right to a say in the laws, policies and
decisions that affect them. A constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament is not
uncommon in Western Democracies where colonisation of First Nations People has
occurred . Once established it cannot be taken away. The Voice to Parliament offers all
Australians the opportunity to grow as a nation and reconcile the wrongs of the past.
By gifting the Uluru Statement of the Heart to the Australian people, First Nations people
have given the Australian Government a unique opportunity to lead the people of this
country on a true journey of justice and reconciliation.
The Australian Government must honour its election commitment to a referendum once
a model for the Voice has been settled. Enabling legislation for the Voice must be
passed after the referendum in the next term of parliament. As a non-Indigenous
Australian it is not my position to decide the membership model for the National Voice
but I would hope all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the same chance
of being selected.
I hope that this will be a practical step in the process of closing the gap and improving
the lives of Indigenous people in Australia. I feel the only way for permanent positive
change for First Nations Peoples is through the Constitution.
