Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Social Services) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to highlight the very important matter of a Voice to Parliament, and why it is so incredibly important we all embrace this. I'm very proud to be a part of the Albanese Labor government, which is committed to implementing the Uluru statement in full, as written—Voice, Treaty, Truth.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a product of one of the most historically significant consultation processes with First Nations people in our nation's history. It calls for a voice to parliament enshrined in the Constitution, followed by the establishment of a makarrata commission to oversee processes for agreement-making and truth-telling. The statement is such a generous invitation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to all Australians to walk together in a movement for everyone, and I believe Australians will support a voice to parliament. As the Minister of Indigenous Australians has said: 'This is a decision that the Australian people will make. The referendum will belong to the Australian people, not politicians.' A constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament is a meaningful and practical reform. It will include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the founding document of our country. Of course, in May 2017, over 250 delegates gathered at Mutitjulu near Uluru and put their signatures to a historic statement: the Statement from the Heart, an invitation to the nation to create a better future for everyone. In July this year the Prime Minister set out a road map to implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart, including a possible question and amendment to the Constitution for the Voice to Parliament.

This is not a radical step; it is an important one in terms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples having a say in their future. All this follows a decade of consideration by constitutional experts, First Nations leaders, parliamentary committees and First Nations communities. The necessity for a voice in our parliament is a matter of common sense. It is from the heart; it is about giving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a say about what matters in their communities and what affects their communities. It's not a veto or a third chamber; it's about having a voice. I believe that the majority of Australians will also support this. The Voice is an issue that is, and should be, above politics. That's why I, like many others, was disappointed with the National Party's recent public position in opposing it. I say to them that I hope they reconsider. I call on them to rethink this position. It's a generous invitation, because it's about having a say and having a voice.

History is calling on all of us to take up this very generous invitation and act to make this constitutional reform, and it's up to all of us to talk, to listen and to bring people together to deliver—together—a voice to this place.

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