First Peoples’ Assembly on path to a treaty

Victoria’s First Peoples’ Assembly will hold its inaugural meeting in state parliament on Tuesday.

Jason Kelly remains seated as other members of the First Peoples’ Assembly stand for a group photo on Monday. Picture: Aaron Francis

Victoria’s First Peoples’ ­Assembly will hold its inaugural meeting in state parliament on Tuesday in a move Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner Jill Gallagher has hailed as “Aboriginal democracy in ­action” and a key step towards a treaty between the state’s indigenous people and government.

But one elected member of the assembly says he will boycott the event in protest over it being held in state parliament, rather than at a “culturally safe” location.

The commission has also faced criticism over the fact that only 2000 of an eligible 30,000 indigenous Victorians participated in a poll to elect 21 members of the assembly. The remaining 11 members of the 32-seat body are from formally recognised traditional owner groups. The ­assembly members met at state parliament to begin a two-day induction process on Monday.

Muthi/Muthi/Wamba Wamba man Jason Kelly refused to be part of a group photo in the upper house, telling The Australian he intended to boycott the inaugural meeting when it takes place there on Tuesday.

“The fact we’re coming together in a place where legislation was passed that killed my people didn’t sit right with me or my elders,” Mr Kelly said.

“I’ve said no to tomorrow. I don’t want to do the two-minute speech or performance. I don’t want to be put on a show.”

The inaugural meeting will be live-streamed on the First Peoples’ Assembly website on Tuesday from 8.45am.

Ms Gallagher said the process of forming the group had been led by Aboriginal communities, not government, and defended the choice of parliament as a venue.

“To say otherwise is wrong. The proof will be in the ­assembly’s work — judge it on its results,” Ms Gallagher said.

“That Aboriginal leadership is why it’s so powerful for the ­assembly members to meet in parliament. It goes from being a place where so many hurtful ­decisions were made, to a site where we stand as equal sovereigns to government.”

Queensland is following Victoria and South Australia in taking its first steps towards a treaty.

Aboriginal academic and ­author Jackie Huggins is helping to lead the process, as co-chair of a panel consulting Queensland communities under a broader plan to negotiate treaties with the state’s First Nations people.

“This is something our community has talked about for decades, and to see that achieved would be a dream come true for me,” Dr Huggins said. “This process will take a long time, but I’m confident that future generations will carry it through.”

Additional reporting: AAP