Allan government refuses to rule ‘anything in or out’ of Treaty negotiations

The Allan government hasn’t ruled out giving compulsorily acquired private property to Indigenous groups ahead of Treaty negotiations later this year.

The Allan government has refused to rule out giving compulsorily acquired private property to Indigenous groups and establishing seats designated to Indigenous members in the Victorian parliament.

Treaty and First Peoples Minister Natalie Hutchins, who fronted the Public Accounts and Estimate Committee hearing on the state’s path to treaty on Tuesday, said a series of measures, including reparations, remained on the table.

Questioned about whether the government would rule out dedicating seats in the Victorian parliament for Indigenous people ahead of treaty negotiations later this year, Ms Hutchins said it was too early to determine what would be included.

“After 200 years of colonisation, where this state took away lands in the settlement, murdered people and took away culture and language we are not going to be ruling anything in or out as we go to the negotiation table in regards to treaty,” she said.

She, however, said that the idea was not one that Indigenous representatives had voiced their support for.

Ms Hutchins said a series of measures remained on the table. Picture: Valeriu Campan

“That has not been an expressed desire that has been put to me by First Nations people,” she said.

“In fact, I think they think that our places of the lower and upper houses here are actually quite aggressive places that they would rather not be a part of.”

Ms Hutchins was also asked whether the government could hand private land that had been compulsorily acquired to Aboriginal groups or other entities.

But she refused to directly answer the question.

“The focus that we have on Treaty is about building a new pathway going forward with Aboriginal people,” she said.

Ms Hutchins was pressed on whether a $41m commitment in the budget to “enable increased Traditional Owner access to water and decision making in water management” would be spent on buying water for Indigenous groups.

But the senior minister was again unable to provide an answer.

“We don’t actually determine the percentage of funds that will be used to buy water,” she said.

The question was then handballed to Water Minister Harriet Shing.

Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Peter Walsh, said the lack of answers was not good enough.

“We should have received answers today, instead a Minister who is meant to represent the interests of Victorian Aboriginal people hid behind the ‘that’s not in my portfolio’ excuse,” Mr Walsh said.