At the opening of our Statewide Treaty Gathering, the Assembly Co-chairs Ngarra Murray and Rueben Berg outlined where things were at on the journey to Treaty and what comes next.
Thanks Ngarra. And thank you all for coming. And for any mob following along online over the live stream.
I too want to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country on which we gather for this important event – the Wadawurrung people. Thanks for having us.
As Ngarra said, at the heart of our approach to Treaty is a firm belief that when it comes to Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal people are the experts.
Through Treaty we want to make sure that our people can always have the freedom and power to make the decisions that affect our communities, our cultures, and our Country.
We know that by doing this, everyone benefits.
When our communities are thriving, good things happen.
We can heal Country, we can make sure our kids are connected to Community, strong in culture, safe and with opportunities at their feet.
When we’re thriving, we’re proud of our history and culture and we’re able to share and celebrate it with everyone.
And our knowledge and wisdom can benefit everyone.
Our people were deliberately excluded from economic development, but with Treaty, our communities will not only be able to benefit from the economy but also contribute to it.
Look at the benefits that have flowed from success stories of when First Peoples do have the ability to manage First Peoples matters. Look at Budj Bim world heritage listing for example. Traditional Owners maintaining our culture but also bringing revenue to regional economies.
Politicians like to talk about ‘closing the gap’. Well, if they want to help close the gap they have to stop thinking they know best. They have to let our communities make the decisions that matter to our communities.
That’s how we’ll get better outcomes for Aboriginal communities.
Some politicians also like to tell us to get over it, to move on. Others, that we should focus on getting on together. Reconciliation.
And again, my response to such politicians is, well let us make decisions for ourselves, so we can thrive, so we can come to the party as your equals.
When our communities are really thriving – That’s when we can come together with respect – when we’re on equal footing.
That’s what Treaty can help do – level the playing field, so everyone, First Peoples and newer Australians can make a better future together.
Ok – so how will a statewide Treaty help achieve all this?
Let me give a quick overview. And don’t worry I’ll try not to overload you with details, but of course anyone want details is welcome to join me for me session tomorrow morning!
So as Ngarra mentioned, us Assembly Members, having spoken to our communities across the state, have landed on four key concepts that we think should be the focus of the first round of negotiations about the Statewide Treaty.
I say first round because it’s important to note that Treaty wont be a static thing – it will be a living document that focuses on re-setting and maintaining the on-going relationship, one based on respect and able to deliver on-going agreement making through Treaty. A Treaty for the generations.
But we have to start somewhere and we think these four key focuses will help set us up for success.
These are in no way set in stone – we’re still working on them, we’re still seeking input from everyone, and we still very much have an open mind. Nothing is off the table. No one has a monopoly on good ideas.
But the four concepts that you’ll likely be hearing a lot about this weekend are as follows:
- A process and timetable for transferring decision-making powers from Government to First Peoples – at both a statewide level with the Assembly and at a local level through Traditional Owner Treaties
- How key recommendations from the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s truth-telling process should be implemented
- Expanding the Assembly’s roles and responsibilities so it can also provide advice to government and ensure accountability (in addition to exercising decision-making powers)
- Ways to properly respect and celebrate First Peoples’ culture and languages
So let me break down each one a little bit…
Ngarra talked a little bit about Traditional Owner Treaties transferring decision making powers at a local level. Alongside such efforts, the Statewide Treaty would transfer decision-making powers at state level.
We want to take certain decisions that are currently being made by the State Government and we want to transfer them to the First Peoples’ Assembly.
So the negotiations are going to focus less on what particular policies are good or bad, and focus more on who should be making particular policies.
Who’s best placed to make decisions about Aboriginal sacred sites, or the allocation of funds for Aboriginal programs? Is it politicians who don’t understand our communities? Or is it Aboriginal people who have been democratically elected by our communities, who are guided by and kept accountable by our communities and who listen to the experts in our communities?
Assembly Members understand Community, because they are Community members.
In the past, governments and politicians, who thought they knew best, imposed their way of doing things onto Aboriginal people.
It was everything from controlling where we could live to who we could marry. In more recent times it’s involved heavy-handed law and order interventions and a string of misguided and failed policies.
Whether it’s in health, welfare, housing or education, the policies designed for us, but not by us, haven’t worked.
So we think it’s time not only to listen to Aboriginal people, but to also give us a turn at making the decisions that affect us.
We know that’s what produces better outcomes for our people.
Some decision-making powers will be more complex to transfer, but we want to negotiate a process and timetable for starting that.
So, if you think about all the decisions that the Minister for First Peoples currently makes about Aboriginal communities, that’s a very good starting point for what decisions we think a future version of the First Peoples’ Assembly should be making. And that’s what we’ll be pushing for.
The second focus will be recommendations from the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s truth-telling process.
They are obviously still in development, but we know they are going to contain some real gems of practical advice and solutions, so they’ll certainly be a focus.
The Commission has already made some recommendations and the Government issued its first response to those earlier this week.
We want to honour the efforts of all those who participated, and are going to participate, in the vitally important truth-telling process. So yes, the recommendations will be a key part of the negotiations.
Another topic of discussion will be how to expand the Assembly’s roles and responsibilities.
If the Assembly is going to start taking on certain decision-making powers from government, we’ve got make sure we’re set up well for the job.
What does that look like, what is the resourcing like, how is it set up so it’s firewalled from the whims of party politics and changing governments? We’ve been trying to come up with the nuts and bolts of how all this works and you’ll no doubt hear more about the detail in many of the sessions – so we’ll be wanting to get your ideas and feedback about it all in the coming weeks.
In addition to taking on decision-making powers on Aboriginal matters, we think the Assembly can play a key accountability role – keeping governments to their promises and helping to monitor and improve all policies and services that affect Aboriginal people
Too many times we’ve seen the Government devise programs and strategies for First Peoples, but then failed to deliver on them or stick to them.
A strengthened Assembly with an accountability role can make sure the programs, strategies, initiatives are delivered and are actually working.
We want this upcoming first round of Treaty outcomes to deliver structural change – to ensure decisions about Aboriginal people can be made by Aboriginal people.
But the shared journey to Treaty will also present many opportunities to bring us all closer together.
We want our kids to grow up proud of who they are and strong in culture. We also want to share our cultures and languages with everyone who lives or visits Victoria.
Something as simple as the language we use to name a place, can offer a way to connect with each other and help newer Australians better understand the oldest living culture in the world.
Embracing our languages and having our cultural practices respected and celebrated is something we’d love to see more of.
So you can expect there’ll be some talk in the negotiations about things like strengthening dual naming policies, but we’ll also be looking at ways to rejuvenate our beautiful languages by having them taught.
Imagine if all primary school kids could learn about the language of the Traditional Owners of Country in their area. It would of course need to be subject to the wishes of Traditional Owners in each area, but it’s certainly something I’d love to see.
So as you can see, we’ve got a lot to talk about over the coming days and months.
But personally, and I think this is a view shared widely amongst the Assembly Members, I’m feeling really upbeat about the possibilities.
So far the government has seemed to be genuinely open to and committed to this process. I know we’ll have disagreements, but I’m confident with your help – if we can show how united our community is on wanting Treaty – we will be able to find a path forward.
Please, check out the program you should all have. Look at what sessions are on and what you want to learn more about.
There’s no rush – we’re not going to put you on the spot and say ‘ok what do you think about all this’. We want you to soak it all up, seek the answers you need, go back and yarn with your families and communities and then let us know what you think.
The clock is ticking, but we have a month or so to really nail our negotiating brief. So please, all ideas are welcome.
Thanks again.
