Truth is the essence of establishing rights, says Grant

Treaties with indigenous Australia would be the ‘most conservative’ approach to constitutional recognition, Stan Grant says.

Treaties with indigenous Australia would be the “most conservative” approach to constitutional recognition because they are inherently designed to write stable relationships into law, Referendum Council member Stan Grant says.

And a nationwide truth-and- justice style process canvassing the injustices of the past two centuries could provide a better immediate path to a treaty than a simple referendum question next May, the broadcaster and academic believes.

“All (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) lives are framed by the silence about our history,” Grant said. “Recognition, reconciliation, treaties: these things are first about truth. And treaties are in essence the most conservative ways of being able to establish people’s fundamental rights, and systems of governance, and respect for sovereignty. This is actually how treaties work all over the world.

“What we have at the moment is a conflict between indigenous aspirations and the recognition of those rights and aspirations by the state. To be able to frame that properly, to be able to settle those issues, to my mind is a very, very conservative thing.”

Grant is one of eight indigenous members on the 16-member council, appointed in December and which is about to embark on a series of 18 indigenous-only consultations around the country to frame advice for Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten on next steps for constitutional recognition.

It is proposed that the final of these consultations be held at Uluru on May 27 — the date the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader continue to cling to as an ideal referendum date — 50 years after the poll that saw indigenous Australians counted as citizens.

Grant is adamant the consultations must be allowed to have a voice of their own, and said he was grateful Mr Turnbull and Mr Shorten would be guided by the process.