Hard talk over Indigenous voice picks

Ministers should not have a say in which Australians sit on the Indigenous voice, the proposed new body to advise government, according to the Andrews government.

Victorian Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Ministers should not have a say in which Australians sit on the Indigenous voice, the proposed new body to advise government, according to the Andrews government.

Victoria’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams has objected to elements of the proposed structure of the Indigenous voice including how an 18-member voice could be chosen. Ministerial appointments are not mandated in the interim voice report but one option suggested is that the voice has a maximum of two appointed members

“If it is required, appointment co-considered by the National Voice and the Australian Government. Determined according to specific skills set or representative requirements,” the interim voice report states.

In Victoria’s public submission on the voice – one of more than 2500 currently under consideration – Ms Williams writes that Indigenous Victorians should choose who represents them on each of the local, regional and national arms of the voice and government ministers should not have a role.

“Victoria considers the proposal for up to two ministerial appointees would dilute the authenticity and legitimacy of the National Voice and is not consistent with the principle of self-determination,” Ms Williams writes.

Victoria believes the state’s First People’s Assembly should play an important on the voice. This fits with the current proposal that established Indigenous organisations can and should be utilised.

Ms Williams has also said in her public submission that in Victoria, there should be representatives on the voice from five regions rather than two. The First People’s Assembly of Victoria, which is working towards a treaty between the Victorian government and traditional owners, has representatives from five regions.

“The Victorian government considers that the proposal for Victoria to have two regions is incompatible with current, community-determined arrangements,” Ms Williams writes. The NSW government has also expressed some concerns that it could be “challenging” to decide who sits on the voice according to cultural boundaries because of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in metropolitan areas such as Newcastle, Central Coast and Greater Sydney. The NSW government believes that representatives on the voice should be by nation and language group.

“Such an approach is consistent with the revival of Aboriginal languages, recognition of native title rights and interests, and to protect Aboriginal heritage in NSW,” the NSW government writes in its public submission.

The Morrison government is committed to creating an Indigenous voice that will oblige all levels of government to consult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on matters that impact them. The Commonwealth government expects to receive a final proposal for what the local, regional and national voice will look like by the end of July.

Three groups of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians worked on proposals for the voice’s design in 2020 before presenting an interim report on its design for the public’s consideration.

The three groups, overseen by Indigenous professors Marcia Langton and Tom Calma, are now reviewing 2554 public comments before settling on a final proposal that will ultimately be considered by cabinet.

In Victoria’s public submission to the voice process, Ms Williams says the Victorian government wants the existing First People’s Assembly of Victoria to play an important role. Ms Williams “welcomes the co-design groups’ recognition of the importance of complementing existing jurisdictional arrangements and working effectively with existing bodies and stakeholders”.

An Indigenous voice was the first priority of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.