Ken Wyatt to reveal plan for constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians

Australians will soon get to vote on a change to the constitution that has been described as a decision “too important to get wrong”.

Australians will have the chance to vote on changing the constitution to recognise the nation’s first peoples within the next three years.

But Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has stressed the importance of getting a proposal for change right before a referendum is held.

“Constitutional recognition is too important to get wrong, and too important to rush,” Mr Wyatt told the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.

“We need to design the right model to progress to a point at which the majority of Australians, the majority of states and territories and indigenous Australians support the model so that it is successful.”

Mr Wyatt plans to work with parliamentarians from across the political spectrum to develop the model, with Labor’s indigenous spokeswoman Linda Burney to be “integral” to the process.

He’s also looking to the 1967 referendum for inspiration.

Australians overwhelmingly voted on that occasion for changes to the constitution to include indigenous people in the census and allow the federal government to create laws for them.

“If we want to see that kind of national consensus again, we need to be thorough and take the time to get it right.”

The minister is also committed to bringing about an indigenous voice to parliament, working alongside state and territory ministers.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017 called for a “First Nations Voice” enshrined in the constitution and the creation of a powerful “Makarrata Commission” of elected elders that would supervise agreement-making between government and indigenous people.

But the proposal was shot down by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who said the advisory body “would inevitably become seen as a third chamber of parliament”.

Mr Wyatt said the development of a local, regional and national voice “will be achieved”.

“The voice is multi-layered and includes the voices of individuals, families, communities and indigenous organisations who want to be heard by those who make the decisions that impact on their lives.”

Mr Wyatt’s address comes six weeks after the Perth MP became the first Aboriginal person to have ministerial stewardship of indigenous affairs.

Looking forward to the issues with which he’ll grapple, Mr Wyatt said states and territories must take the lead on achieving treaty with Indigenous people.

Indigenous people must also be better included in policy-making and evaluation, he said.

“Even the most well-intentioned modern policies and programs have still tended to take a top-down, command and control approach,” Mr Wyatt said.

“As if Aboriginal people didn’t know what they needed or wanted. “As if proud members of one of the world’s longest-lived civilisations had nothing to say, no wisdom to offer, about what would help their families thrive and their communities flourish.”

He said the establishment of a new National Indigenous Australians Agency on July 1 - which will take the reins of indigenous policymaking from the department of prime minister and cabinet - is significant.

“We began a new era for the government to work in partnership with indigenous Australians,” the minister said.

“It will provide opportunities for growth and advancement in education, employment, suicide prevention, community safety, health and constitutional recognition.”

Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt.

Speaking to ABC radio this morning, Mr Wyatt said the government needs to go back to the model of the 1967 referendum “where unions became leaders”, and where churches, Aboriginal organisations and external groups were at the forefront of that process.

“It is unfinished business but I think that there’s a tremendous groundswell of goodwill,” he said.

“Reconciliation Australia had about a 12 per cent rusted-on group who said absolutely no, but the rest of Australians — and what I love about our country is this ‘fair go’ concept that has prevailed — people believe that we need to right wrongs.”