‘We’re here to draw a line in the sand’: Marcia Langton

Marcia Langton says there’s ‘no evidence’ previous bodies aimed at improving Indigenous outcomes didn’t work, but recommendations weren’t taken up by former governments.

Prominent Indigenous academic Marcia Langton says there was “no evidence” to show previous bodies aimed at improving Indigenous outcomes did not work, arguing past consultative groups and councils made “dogged” recommendations to improve outcomes which had not been taken up by former governments.

Speaking at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's announcement of the wording of the constitutional amendment to the indigenous voice, Ms Langton said: “There have been many advisory groups and consultative groups and councils. There’s no evidence to suggest that they didn’t work.

“I have been around since the very first one and indeed, they did make a very positive difference. But what has happened in most cases, is that with each election, a party will use as its appeal to voters that it will get rid of X, Y, Z body because ‘it's clear that it’s not working’”.

In a veiled swipe at ‘no’ campaigners Warren Mundine and Country Liberal Party Senator Jacinta Price, Professor Langton urged against the views they expressed on Wednesday being repeated.

“Before you all rush off and recite what was said yesterday, by a person who's never participated in any of these processes, I would like you to look for the evidence for such assertions,” she said.

“We’re here to draw a line in the sand and say this has to change, people's lives have to improve and we know from the evidence that what improves people’s lives is when they get a say. And that’s what this is about.”

Senator Price on Wednesday said the voice would be just “another bureaucracy that will trample on the voices” of Indigenous people and only ”represent the elite”.

Mr Mundine said the voice would “be spending millions of dollars and not fix one iota on the ground”.

Professor Langton said that she and many of the Indigenous leaders present at the announcement had been involved in Royal Commissions and inquiries including those into deaths in custody and the removal of Indigenous children from their families.

“In each case, we have doggedly recommended changes to stop the deaths, the incarceration, the early deaths and the miserable lives and it is so infrequently that our recommendations are adopted,” she said.

Anthony Albanese said he was trying to “change the country” by ensuring Australians recognised their indigenous peoples and the nation’s history.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney said the government was “not unaware” of how difficult it is to change the referendum in Australia, but that Labor remained “absolutely committed” to changing the voice.