Despite a concerted and ongoing effort to allow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to have a real and significant say about their future and the survival of culture on their own country – the proposed Indigenous voice to parliament still remains in limbo !
“Most people have forgotten that the whole discussion at Uluru was really about the sovereign rights of Aboriginal people and how that was going to be expressed……Michaell Mansell
The Liberal coalition government has put the process on the back burner. Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt, saying the government remained “committed to getting it right” and it would go to a referendum “once a consensus is reached”. To its credit the Morrison Government has committed $31.8 million to support the required preparatory work to design Local & Regional Voice structures -but what significance can be placed on this process ?
Labor says it is committed to a referendum in its first year of parliament and has promised to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart in full…. if elected.
A referendum won’t lead to any land returns, it won’t lead to seats in Parliament, it won’t lead to Aboriginal people being empowered….. it is just a discussion during the election. Michael Mansell