Goodstart acknowledges all Traditional Custodians across Australia and recognises First Nations peoples’
continued cultural and spiritual connection to the land, sky and waterways that surround us. We pay our
respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
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Goodstart Early Learning welcomes the opportunity to make this submission in response to the Interim
Report to the Australian Government: Indigenous Voice Co-Design Process January 2021.
Goodstart is Australia’s largest not-for-profit social enterprise and Australia’s largest ECEC provider.
With 671 centres located in all states and territories, we provide early learning and care for more than
70,700 children from 59,200 families with a team of 14,900 employees. Founded on a vision of giving
Australia’s children the best possible start in life through access to quality early learning.
Our purpose is to ensure all children have the learning, development and wellbeing outcomes they
need for school and life. We acknowledge that ‘reconciliation is everyone’s business’ and we are
incredibly proud of the work our centre network and their support teams do in supporting the
advancement of reconciliation.
Our vision for reconciliation is for Goodstarters to engage with reconciliation on both a personal and
professional level, creating the conditions that support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social
justice, equality and equity. Through this vision, we are laying the foundations to grow future
generations that value and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage as a
proud part of a shared identity.
An important part of this shared identity is recognising the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples in our country’s history by acknowledging their stories, traditions and their original
sovereignty. Our First Nations peoples are the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living
cultures, which should be revered and celebrated.
The Uluru Statement is a call from Australia’s First Peoples to be consulted about decisions that impact
on their lives – in the spirit of the old saying, “Nothing about us, without us”.
Goodstart unreservedly supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We believe that a Voice
enshrined in the Constitution is a fair, practical and safe proposal that will afford First Nations people
real representation on matters that affect them and help unify our nation. Along with other
Australians, we call for:
1. The Government to honour its election commitment to a referendum, once a model for the
Voice has been settled;
2. Enabling legislation for the Voice to be passed in the next term of Parliament after a
referendum has been held; and
3. The membership model for the National Voice to ensure previously unheard Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander people have the same chance of being selected as established
leadership figures.
Legislation alone will not suffice. To endure, the Voice to Parliament needs the protection of the
Constitution so that it cannot be simply de-legislated by an incoming Government. Embracing the
Uluru Statement in its fullness is fair, just, practical and safe.
Kind regards,
Julia Davison
Chief Executive Officer
