To Co-Design Body
Co-design process: Submission
As a non-indigenous Australian, I feel compelled to add my voice to this. We owe such a debt to our Frist Nations people and call on our Government to put the Voice to the Australian people in a referendum.
Why do you think the Uluru Statement from the Heart is important?
There is a real risk is that constitutional recognition will be separated from the idea of a First Nations Voice. This risks the government putting in place a legislative Voice and pursuing a symbolic form of constitutional recognition that does not accord with the wishes of our First Nations people themselves.
How could a Voice to Parliament improve the lives of your community?
Bringing all Australians together can only benefit all. It is the only way to heal and move forward.
Why do you think it's important to enshrine the Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, rather than include it only in legislation?
Constitutional enshrinement of a First Nations Voice is the only form of recognition that garnered the collective endorsement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Only constitutional enshrinement can give the Voice the necessary stability and certainty in its operation, free from the fear of abolition by one government to the next, while allowing for flexibility in design.
Why is it important for Indigenous people to have a say in the matters that affect them?
A First Nations Voice, protected by the Constitution, will mean that agreement-making and truth-telling can finally be done on equal terms. All Australians need to walk the path ahead together as equals!
Please give us the Referendum we need to move forward!
Thank you
