Greens party leader Adam Bandt is calling on the federal government to immediately begin a “truth telling” process for First Nations people in Australia – citing the work happening in Victoria.
Victoria has long been considered the most progressive state in discussions about treaties with local indigenous groups.
The state is taking steps towards a treaty through the Yoorrook Justice Commission, in a completely different process from the failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament national referendum in October 2023.
The actual treaty negotiations are expected to begin in early 2024. Any agreements would have to be legislated by the state parliament.
There are ongoing moves towards a treaty through the Yoorrook Justice Commission, in a completely different process to the failed Indigenous Voice to Parliament national referendum in October 2023.
The Indigenous Voice to Parliament was voted out in a referendum in October, despite the efforts of Linda Burney (right) and Anthony Albanese (left).
Mr Bandt argued this week: ‘A process of truth-telling across the country could and should begin now.
“We have seen in Victoria that this process is already underway and it is making a big difference and laying the foundation for future change.”
In Victoria, the state government has committed to working towards a treaty that ‘recognizes the truth of Victoria’s history’.
According to the government website, the Yoorrook Commission is investigating “historic and ongoing injustices committed against Aboriginal Victorians since colonization, across all areas of social, political and economic life.”
The committee was formally established in 2021 – before Albanese’s own commitment to hold a Voice referendum.
Supporters were devastated by the outcome of the Voice referendum last October
Greens leader Adam Bandt argued this week: ‘A process of truth-telling across the country could and should begin now’
Yoorrook is the Wemba Wemba word for ‘truth’. The committee is independent of the government and is funded until at least June 30, 2025.
It has the same powers as a royal commission, meaning it can hold public hearings, compel people to give evidence, call witnesses under oath and make recommendations to the government.
In addition to ongoing investigations into historic mass killings of First Nations people, the commission also focuses on Victoria’s justice system, the oversight of First Nations people and the protection of children.
The Yoorrook Commission may recommend that future treaties agree on institutional and legal reforms, as well as “appropriate redress for systemic injustice.”
The most recent interim report was published in 2022 following a series of hearings with First Nations communities and detailed findings of “systemic injustices, both historical and ongoing.”
“Elders consistently linked ongoing injustice to past injustices as an ongoing impact of colonization,” the report said.
“Although Yoorrook’s truth-seeking processes are still in their early stages, the evidence collected to date is substantial.”
The commission has committed to devoting resources to the “state-sanctioned removal of First Nations children from their families” and the ongoing “injustices experienced by First Nations in the criminal justice system.”
In addition, the committee will continue to promote and assist discussions on truth-telling and Victoria’s progress towards a treaty.
The treaty initially received bipartisan support, but in late January state opposition leader John Pesutto revealed that the coalition had withdrawn support.
He said internal discussions had been going on “for many months” and expressed concern that treaties “could leave the community feeling even more divided.”
Victoria’s First Assembly – a democratically elected group of people who act as a “voice” for Indigenous people – said the announcement was “disappointing” but said there was a “clear path to a treaty” in the state anyway.
“A national truth-telling process will allow people to share their experiences of what colonization has meant to them,” Bandt said.
“Our priority… is for Labor to recommit to that process of truth-telling and treaty-making.”
Labor has been criticized for standing still for too long after the Voice failed, despite setting aside $27.7 million from the previous budget to tackle a Makarrata Commission – which would essentially do the same can act as the Yoorrook Commission of Victoria.
Labor has been criticized for failing to make progress on Indigenous policy following the failure of The Voice. That’s despite $27.7 million being set aside from the previous budget to address a Makarrata Commission – which could essentially act in a similar way to Victoria’s Yoorrook Commission.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart – which Labor fully committed to during the last election campaign – called for three pillars of reconciliation: a voice, a treaty and the truth.
The Makarrata Commission was intended to advance both the treaty and truth-telling at the federal level, but stalled during the Voice campaign over concerns about what a treaty – or treaties – might look like in practice.
In the four months since the failure of the Voice proposal, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have both shied away from explicitly stating their future plans for the portfolio.
Work on the Makarrata Commission remains paused while the government recalibrates and seeks advice on next steps.
Last month, the Prime Minister criticized him for being slow to act and stressed that he and his government were “taking action.”
“We want to do what we can to close the gap on education, on health care, on housing, on all these issues, and that’s what the referendum was about.
“But we accept the result, so we have to approach it in a different way.”
Mr Albanese took responsibility for his role in the referendum, but said he was responding to a request from the First Nations community through the Heart’s Uluru Declaration for constitutional recognition.