NT Labor moves motion supporting Voice to Parliament
The NT government has moved a motion on the Voice to Parliament, but Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has been forced to defend her government’s decision to ignore three Aboriginal politicians on the issue of alcohol bans.
Northern Territory
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THE NT government has moved a motion for the NT parliament to support an Indigenous Voice.
Ms Fyles told reporters outside Parliament it was important for the Territory to support the Voice.
But she was forced to defend her government’s decision to ignore the voices of three Aboriginal members within the federal government on the issue of alcohol bans in Aboriginal town camps.
The Chief Minister denied it was hypocritical for the government to put forward this motion given it had lifted the alcohol bans last July, despite warnings not to do so from peak Aboriginal organisations and federal MPs Marion Scrymgour, Malarndirri McCarthy and Jacinta Price.
“Absolutely not,” Ms Fyles said.
“If we’d had a Voice to Parliament we never would have had the Intervention in the Northern Territory.
“The Intervention disempowered Aboriginal Territorians, it only targeted the Territory because we’re a Territory.
“We have been listening to Aboriginal Territorians around this issue and that is why we’ve put in this strong process of community consultation.”
The motion was debated on the same day Sky News revealed three branches of the Country Liberal Party had drafted motions ahead of the central council meeting this weekend, calling for the party to oppose the voice.
While Senator Price has taken a hardline position against the Voice, others within the CLP including Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro say they support the proposal in principle but want to see more detail.
“We’ll be watching every single member, whether they support this or not,” Ms Fyles said.
“We have had leaders from different political persuasions support this and I can imagine for some of those conservative leaders it wasn’t easy for them in their party room, but they did the right thing because they know that the Voice is important for Aboriginal Australians and today members of the Northern Territory Parliament have the opportunity to put on the record their support to the Voice from the Territory.”
Former chief minister Shane Stone said it should be up to the parliamentary wing of the CLP, not the central council, to decide a position on the Voice.
He said he backed the position Ms Finocchiaro had taken to ask for more detail.
Independent MLA Yingiya Mark Guyula also told Parliament there had been a lack of detail provided about the Voice.
“The majority of remote community members do not know what a Voice to Parliament is,” he said.
The motion was expected to pass with the CLP abstaining from the vote.
“The CLP opposition has been very clear on its position on a Voice to Federal Parliament,” Opposition Whip Josh Burgoyne told Parliament.
“We want the federal government to come to the Northern Territory and sit down with Territorians and explain what the voice is and how it will make our lives better.
“To date, there has been no engagement with people living in our communities.
“Today’s motion has clearly come at the direction of federal Labor who have to keep telling the Chief Minster how to do her job, just like they told the Chief Minister how to do her job in Alice Springs.
“I think all Territorians would like to know who is running the NT. Is it the Prime Minister or is it the Chief Minister?”
Matt Cunningham is the Sky News Northern Australia Correspondent
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Originally published as NT Labor moves motion supporting Voice to Parliament
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