2022-08-09
The Greens party room has formally backed Greens Leader Adam Bandt and Senator Lidia Thorpe to negotiate with the Government over their proposed referendum on a Voice to Parliament in the Constitution.
“The government has said they’re prepared to discuss their plan for a Voice, and I’ve got the full support of my party to begin negotiations,” Senator Thorpe said.
“We’ve made it clear that the Greens want to see progress on all elements of the Statement. We support legislation that improves the lives of First Nations people, and I look forward to talking with Minister Burney about how we achieve that together in this Parliament.
“If the PM wants to heal this nation and unify people, he needs to understand that Sovereignty never ceded is more than a slogan. It’s a call to action. It’s time to tell the truth about our Country.
“We will be putting Treaty and a Truth Commission on the table. We demand full implementation of the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Bringing them Home report. We can ensure that First Peoples human rights are at the foundation of any Voice to Parliament, through passage of my Bill on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 2022.
“The PM said that Treaty is “ambitious”. After 230 years of colonisation, we need ambition. I challenge the PM to do the work. Any process that could be rushed through the Parliament in six months is unlikely to involve any meaningful transfer of power. Self-determination is a human right.
“We’re ready to negotiate in good faith. The Greens have worked across party lines on the Climate Change Bill and the Missing and Murdered First Nations Women and Children Enquiry. The government will need our support to get anything through the Senate, so I hope the PM comes to the table with an open mind, ready to listen and work together for justice for First Nations people.”
These are the issues we will put on the table in those discussions:
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The Labor Government need to make meaningful progress towards Truth and Treaty with First Nations people, the other key parts of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
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The passage of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Bill 2022
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Implementing the remaining recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Bringing them Home Report.