30 April 2021
Submission to
“The Indigenous Voice Co-Design Process Interim Report”
From
Darlington 2008
I am # an Australian citizen, naturalised over 26 years ago
living in Darlington, the suburb immediately next to Redfern
Key points of my feedback to the report:
I strongly support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, in particular
- establishing a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution
- setting up a Makarrata commission
- eventually a treaty with the First Nations
As a citizen of the earth and in particular of Australia, we can only but treasure the gift of
our Australian cultural heritage going back more than 60 thousand years. Furthermore, the
First Nations open-hearted offer to share their culture with us non-indigenous people I
regard as tremendously generous; I feel very strongly that this, my country ought to show
due respect to the offer in the form of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and accept it
unchanged and in its full extent.
In regards to the First Nations Voice to be enshrined in the Constitution:
- It is of utmost importance that this Voice is enshrined in our constitution as a
principle, in order to reflect that it is our fundamental belief and understanding and
the will of us, the people of Australia (and not of politicians/members of Parliament
at the whim of political expediency).
- Following the constitutional legitimacy through a referendum, any details of the
‘how’ can then be developed afterwards in legislation, allowing for adjustment and
growth over time. Developing any such legislation should be in conjunction with and
guided by the First Nations people. For this process, I fully support the proposed
Makarrata commission.
- Moreover, how the Voice itself is constituted should be entirely up to the First
Nations people.
Looking forward to the referendum on the Voice and to
a better future for us all,
