Path forward on indigenous recognition won’t be defined by loud voices

Over the weekend Liberals from all over our great nation gathered in the capital to celebrate our party’s 75th anniversary.

From Menzies to Morrison, we are a political movement that has always sought to represent the mainstream of Australia — from the ‘Forgotten People’ of Menzies’ time to the quiet Australians who are the backbone of modern day Australia.

Our party room draws strength from the hard work and aspiration of all Australians, and having formed government for 48 of our 75 years, it is fair to say that we are the natural choice of government for Australians, and they entrust us to protect their interests on the national stage.

During this time we have achieved many great things for Australia — personally I draw inspiration importantly for me however are the moments of achievement for indigenous Australia as a result of the beliefs, courage and commitment of the Liberal Party.

It was the Holt Coalition government that delivered the historic 1967 Referendum while at the same time dismantling the White Australia policy, and it was within five years of this historic constitutional change that the first indigenous Australian was elected to the Australian parliament.

The Liberal Party is the party of Neville Bonner, whose election to the Senate would pave the way for my election some four decades later as the first indigenous Member of the House of Representatives.

Through the fundamental beliefs of the Liberal Party I have now been afforded the privilege and honour of service as our nation’s first indigenous Minister, Cabinet minister and now indigenous Minister for Indigenous Australians.

This is no surprise to me — our party has a long commitment to the advancement of indigenous Australians, both through formal recognition and practical empowerment at all levels of society and government.

It was Prime Minister John Howard who first started discussing the need to recognise the world’s oldest culture on our nation’s birth certificate, and in 1999, it was John Howard that had the courage and conviction to put this idea to the Australian people.

Now as we prepare to achieve this ambition 20 years later we face some who would want to proceed in a manner which prevents all indigenous Australians from having an opportunity to have their voices heard.

I will be the Minister for all indigenous Australians — not only for those who have enjoyed the benefit of having their voices heard above others for decades. Community voices are important, and for far too long they haven’t been heard.

Realising Constitutional Recognition of indigenous Australians, as well as ensuring that indigenous Australians are heard by all levels of government — local, state and federal — are of equal importance and value to our nation’s indigenous people.

We must be pragmatic and proceed in a deliberate way that allows equal input and contribution from all Australians and put proposals that will be accepted by the majority of Australians.

As John Howard did in 1999, Prime Minister Scott Morrison is showing the same courage in government to pursue both Constitutional Recognition of indigenous Australians at the same time as an indigenous voice to governments.

These are priorities to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that have been proudly carried by the Liberal side of politics in recent years through Prime Minister’s Abbott and Turnbull.

The Liberal Party is defined by the way in which we advance the needs of all Australians and part of this legacy is built on foundations of empowerment of indigenous Australians.

We have the opportunity, in this term of parliament, to realise our goals — but it will only be achieved if everyone in the debate understands and accepts the need to change the way we approach the issue.

For the first time, our path forward won’t be defined by the loud voices that have dominated the debate around indigenous issues over the past few decades.

I will be announcing soon the process to co-design a voice — and it is my commitment — that through this process the views and ideas of all indigenous Australians will be heard.

I won’t apologise for this approach.

For this is the approach that has served both the Liberal Party and Australia well for the past 75 years.

We are a stronger nation when we empower the individual, work within our communities and respect the width and breadth of views across this great vast land.

Ken Wyatt is the Minister for indigenous Australians.