The Australian’s Australian of the Year: Tom Calma and Marcia Langton in long, difficult journey to give Indigenous a voice

Tom Calma and Marcia Langton have navigated complex politics to deliver a blueprint with potential to forever change the way Australian governments deal with Indigenous Australians.

Tom Calma. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

Tom Calma and Marcia Langton have navigated complex politics to deliver a blueprint with potential to forever change the way Australian governments make decisions, policies and laws affecting Indigenous Australians.

It seemed an improbably difficult task at the beginning of the global pandemic when the distinguished Aboriginal professors began to steer what Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the co-design of an Indigenous voice. Few knew what it was, and this stoked fear and strident criticism.

Some Australians – and their elected representatives – opposed an Indigenous voice on the grounds it could become a “third chamber” of parliament. However, the Morrison government went to the 2019 election with a commitment to define the voice first and then settle what legal form it should take: that is, whether it would be enshrined in legislation or in the constitution or both.

Marcia Langton. Picture: Aaron Francis

“The government has always supported giving Indigenous people more of a say at the local level,” Mr Morrison told parliament in February 2020 as debate grew louder about the government’s chosen path.

“We support the process of co-design of the voice because if we are going to change the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ­Islander peoples on the ground, we need their buy-in to the matters and policies that affect them.”

Defining the voice has ­involved tireless work by Professors Calma and Langton, who are worthy nominees for The Australian’s Australian of the Year award. They co-chaired an ­advisory group of prominent Australians with differing views. Amid heavy scrutiny from both supporters of an Indigenous voice and sceptics, Professor Langton said: “People should wait to see the proposals before ruling support in or out.”

Professors Calma and Langton oversaw two other panels that explored what the voice could look like at a national, regional and local level. In all, they worked with 50 other mostly Aboriginal and Torres Strait ­Islander people, alongside Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt and his department, the National Indigenous Australians Agency, to write an interim report that gave Australia its first look at the Indigenous voice last January.

The pair then listened as more than 4000 individuals and organisations gave their feedback at public meetings, online seminars and in writing.

There were consultations in 67 communities. ­Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians had their say.

Their final report on the voice, released by the federal government last month, has managed what many assumed was impossible. It has been accepted in principle by the government, which has steadfastly refused to commit to enshrinement, while giving hope to voice supporters who ­believe the voice must have a place in the Australian Constitution.

The government will now begin the work of building a voice from the ground up, beginning with 35 local and regional voice groups as a foundation for a ­national voice that will ultimately provide non-binding advice to government and parliament.

Readers are encouraged to submit a nomination for The Australian’s Australian of the Year.
Prominent Australians can be nominated by filling out the form, or emailing to [e-mail]. Nominations close on Friday, January 21.