Statement in support of action on the Uluru Statement from the Heart
I am a lawyer in, I live and work on the land of the Gadigal
people of the Eora nation.
Why do you think the Uluru Statement from the Heart is important?
The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a radical moment for Australia, it demonstrates a willingness of
first nations people to come together in order to continue the fight for recognition and for their right to
have a say in their future. It is clear that the disadvantage faced by first nations people is entrenched
and intergenerational and we need to be the generation that changes that. The Statement from the
Heart is focused and moving, giving all communities across Australia a rallying call that we can
support. The courage and fight that it has taken for first nations people to get to this point is clear and
we cannot ignore it.
How could a Voice to Parliament improve the lives of your community?
A Voice to Parliament would empower Australia's first nations people, celebrating the oldest living
culture on earth, and enabling and encouraging first nations people to realise their potential.
Why do you think it's important to enshrine the Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, rather than
include it only in legislation?
As a lawyer I understand first hand that legislation can be changed on a whim. I understand that a
referendum is a significant undertaking, but we owe it to ourselves as a country to make this change
and include the Voice to Parliament in the Constitution to ensure that generations to come feel
accepted and empowered and the question of recognition of first nations people is never politicised
again.
Why is it important for Indigenous people to have a say in the matters that affect them?
It is clear from the data and empirical evidence that first nations people in Australia are
disproportionately negatively affected by policies and processes put in place by local, state and
federal governments without their input. It is time to give first nations people sovereignty and choice to
design policies and processes that champion and encourage full participation in communities and life,
and in doing so, acknowledging their history with the land and their culture which has sustained them
for millennia.
