James Campbell: It would almost be easier to list what Yoorrook Justice Commission isn’t demanding
No government could sign up to the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s list of demands and hope to survive ... but this is Victoria.
James Campbell
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As if Jacinta Allan didn’t have enough problems, the final report of the Yoorrook Justice Commission has landed with demands from the state’s Indigenous folk for … well seriously, it would almost be easier to list what they aren’t demanding.
The claims can be divided into the symbolic and the practical – read expensive.
At the top of the list of the former is the demand that rather than being regarded as simply a part of the Victorian community – and at 1 per cent a small part at that – Indigenous Victorians are to be treated as separate nations.
Which means that henceforth our dealings with them are to be regarded as “nation-to-nation relationships”.
At the top of the list of the practical are demands the state divert a fixed portion of its tax revenue to a self-determination fund forever.
Not that traditional owners will be paying into it themselves however, because the report also calls for them to be exempted from obligations to pay taxes, rates and charges.
This, it should be understood, is merely a starting point as we head into treaty negotiations.
And to help facilitate these negotiations the — soon to be permanent — First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria as well as the traditional owners are to be given access to the “annual data concerning the revenues collected by the Victorian Government” in respect of freehold land; Crown land & waterways; minerals and resources; gas and petroleum; forestry; fisheries; renewables; and water (surface, groundwater).
The government is also to furnish them with access to a register of third party interests in relation to the above including the start and end date, any rights of renewal and how much they are paying the state in royalties.
Compared to this, the demand that senior public servants pay should be tied to how successful they are at employing, retaining and promoting Indigenous staff is moderate indeed.
It shouldn’t need stating that these are the sorts of demands imposed on a vanquished nation by the victors after a war, not the starting point for negotiations between an elected sovereign government and its elements of its citizenry.
It should go without saying too that no government could sign up to any of this and hope to survive.
Except this is Victoria and in welcoming the report the Premier said it would “lay the foundations for a better future for all Victorians.”
Originally published as James Campbell: It would almost be easier to list what Yoorrook Justice Commission isn’t demanding