Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh challenges state truth-telling body

Victoria’s Nats leader doesn’t support the work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission ‘so far’, and calls for real action to close the gap.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh has challenged the work of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, as he warned “the time for virtue-signalling is over”.

The state shadow Indigenous Australians minister declined to comment specifically on the Aboriginal truth-telling body’s latest “land, sky and waters” inquiry but said he did not support the work of Yoorrook so far.

The newly launched inquiry into systemic land injustice will look into “past and ongoing injustices caused by colonisation”.

The investigation comes after the commission in July demanded juvenile detention be abolished for criminals under 16 and the creation of a separate child protection system for Indigenous children.

“I have no expectations or predictions of what that (land inquiry) might recommend. I think following their last report no one knows where it will go,” Mr Walsh told The Australian.

“Their last report, on the justice system, one of the recommendations was for a totally stand-alone Indigenous court system. And our view is that we are all Victorians and we’re all equal before the law.

Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicki Connolly

“We supported Indigenous courts for youth, which I think has delivered good outcomes, but as part of the current legal system of Victoria, we do not support a totally separate legal system.”

Yoorrook Justice Commission chair Eleanor Bourke told The Australian that recommendations from the final report may be used as part of the treaty negotiation process.

The Victorian Nationals leader supported the advancement of the state’s treaty process when he helped pass the Treaty Authority and Other Treaty Elements Bill 2022 last year.

Mr Walsh said he has not “agreed or not agreed” to a state-based treaty.

“All we did was agreed to set up a process to talk about treaty and at the time we said we would judge any outcomes of that, any recommendations out of that, on (their) merits,” he said.

Chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission Professor Eleanor Bourke AM. Picture: Brianna Young/Yoorrook Justice Commission.

“Whatever happens, it has to deliver real outcomes on closing the gap. I think virtue-signalling by the elite organisations in Australia, or the time for virtue-signalling is over and the time for actual action on closing the gap indicators is here.”

The state Nationals leader said he could not take a stance on a potential treaty until he had all the detail.

“It’s a bit like Albanese’s voice. A lot of people voted against it because they didn’t know what it was. And this time we have nothing before us that says anything about treaty.”

Mr Walsh said one of his focuses is to amend the Aboriginal Heritage Act to provide Victorians with certainty on development and to ensure people do not pay “exorbitant” prices or endure long waits for a cultural heritage study.