October 14 marks the one-year anniversary of the Voice to Parliament referendum. A bold and brave initiative which sought to constitutionally enshrine a Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution. Success would have given First Nations Australians a say in the decisions affecting them, a major step-forward in self-determination. Australia voted No.
The failure of the referendum was felt across the nation. 60.1%[1] of Australians over 18 stated they did not want a Voice to Parliament, for one reason or another. Despite the failure of the referendum, it gave Indigenous issues a national platform, where for a period of weeks Indigenous affairs came centre stage where social issues, discussion and a path forward was in the media on a daily basis.
We can blame misinformation, mistrust, poor marketing or just plain old racism as the causes for this outcome, and we must keep looking forward, acknowledging what has happened and what needs to be done now. We must take action.
Still, 80.5%[2] of Australians believe the country should undertake formal truth-telling processes, a staggering majority. Reconciliation is still the way forward, and the referendum opened the nation to having the conversation around ‘what can we do to make positive change?’.
We can look at the benchmarks set by other countries in their journey of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
In Canada, there is the national Action Plan on Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples 2021-2025[3]. The Action Plan provides a framework to guide the department’s efforts to advance the rights, perspectives and prosperity of Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world, from 2021 to 2025. Underpinning this plan is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which the Canadian Government enshrined into legislation in 2021[4], a declaration that Australia has endorsed but has not codified into domestic law.
In New Zealand a Declaration Plan is being drafted by the cabinet, based on the aspirations of UNDRIP and Maori governing body recommendations[5]. This will bolster the rights given to Maori peoples in the Treaty of Waitangi.
Many nations have a First Nations Parliament, a far step ahead of a Voice to Parliament. Norway, Sweden and Finland for example, have parliaments with authority over certain matters and a right to be consulted over legislation that affects them. New Zealand parliament reserves seats for Maori people and Columbia is required within its constitution to consult with Indigenous people before exploiting any natural resources in Indigenous land.
So why am I mentioning these other countries and their ways of working? It proves that Government’s can accommodate an Indigenous voice into decision-making processes, and any excuses made against the argument can be counterpointed by the fact that other nations do even more for their Indigenous peoples, and it is working.
We are falling behind our cousins in New Zealand and Canada and need to look for ways to legislate the rights to self-determination of Indigenous peoples. The truth is, is that all targets we set should be met. Governments have continually struggled to meet Closing the Gap targets – even though many have placed considerable effort and focus on shifting the stubborn statistics and lived experience year after year. While there may be incremental progress towards some goals, we need to prioritise self-determination, with First Nations people leading decisions about their own communities.
Addressing the underlying issues behind the social disadvantages faced by Indigenous peoples needs a new approach. We must address and rectify the root causes, not the symptom, address why kids are getting into trouble, not just putting them away for breaking the law. As my Co-Chair Nolan Hunter says, we must go after the fire starters, not just the fire.
There is a significant focus in Australia on the cause and effects of past Government actions. Too many people are focused on what has been, what has happened, but not enough focus is placed on what could be and what needs to happen. Despite this, Truth-telling is still vitally important, the acknowledgement of history through the Indigenous lens and the voicing of the truth beneath the truth. But at Reconciliation WA, we also advocate truth listening is equally as important, as Aboriginal people have been telling their truth for hundreds of years but often denialism and disregard has meant we have not had a real chance at reconciliation.
We look at Australia as a nation of pioneers, of nation-builders and go-getters. Indigenous peoples have been with us the whole way, for better or worse, and they want to see the same bright future for Australia as we do, together. We need to acknowledge the past through the eyes of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous eyes, and then look to the future in the same way.
What Indigenous people asked for in the referendum isn’t new. Self-determination and power in decision-making has always been the goal of Indigenous peoples since colonisation has occurred globally. And many have taken progressive action on self-determination. It is the right thing to do. Just as we get to determine the future of our country, so should Indigenous peoples have a say in how their futures are shaped, that is their sovereign rights that were never ceded.
I urge us not just as a state but as a nation; to reconsider the way we think about reconciliation. This isn’t an ‘us and them’ scenario, where Indigenous people are fighting to take away from Australia’s culture in an effort to retain their own. This is a hand-in-hand journey to empower both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in building a nation together, without the errors of the past holding back the opportunities of the future. We are stronger and standing in solidarity. As our State bicentennial approaches in 2029, we should lean into a new century with a commitment to ensuring the next generation of Aboriginal children succeed by choice not by chance. At Reconciliation WA, we believe there is so much more to be gained for all Western Australians in walking together.
Debra Zanella is the Non-Aboriginal Co-Chair of Reconciliation WA. She shares the Co-Chair leadership with Aboriginal leader Nolan Hunter, a Bardi Jawi Yawuru man from the Kimberley. Debra acknowledges Nolan’s leadership and the strength they share in walking together.
ENDS
References:
[1]https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/referendum/2023/results?filter=all&sort=az&state=all&party=all
[2]https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2023/11/Detailed_analysis_of_the_2023_Voice_to_Parliament_Referendum_and_related_social_and_political_attitudes.pdf
[3]https://www.international.gc.ca/transparency-transparence/indigenous-reconciliation-autochtones/index.aspx?lang=eng
[4]https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/declaration/legislation.html
[5]https://www.tpk.govt.nz/en/a-matou-whakaarotau/te-ao-maori/un-declaration-on-the-rights-of-indigenous-peoples
