Megan Davis: Video shows of Voice architect saying Aboriginal advisory body is an ‘anchor’ for ‘treaty’ and ‘truth-telling’ leading to ‘big law firms and lots of litigation’ – and insists ‘the Uluru statement is actually 18 pages’
A key architect of the Voice to Parliament previously claimed that the Uluru Statement from the Heart was “18 pages” long and that the Voice was an “anchor” for a final treaty involving “big law firms and lots of court cases”, in a re-opened surfaced video recording.
Professor Megan Davis said the Voice was “inseparable” from the treaty in an online panel discussion on the Uluru Statement from the Heart hosted by the Sydney Opera House in December 2021.
‘The Voice is inextricably linked to a coordinated approach to the conclusion of agreements and treaties,’ says Professor Davis.
And that was what was decided: we have a ‘Voice, Treaty, Truth’ framework here. What is the logic for that framework?
“That’s what the actual Uluru statement is: the one-pager. But it is longer than one page.
“The Uluru statement is actually 18 pages: it contains the truth-telling bit, which is Australia’s Aboriginal history.”
Another video has surfaced in which Voice architect Megan Davis says the Uluru Statement from the Heart is “18 pages” long and that it is “inextricably linked” to a treaty involving “major law firms and many lawsuits.” An Aboriginal ceremony is depicted
Professor Davis’s comments appear to contradict her recent claim that the Uluru statement is actually 15 pages long, which was made in a book she co-authored with Patricia Anderson, “Our Voices From the Heart,” which has only been out for two days. ago was published.
In the recording of the Sydney Opera House event, Professor Davis goes on to argue that ‘many things can happen’ if a voice is enshrined in the constitution.
“Until you have that anchor in the constitution that cannot be undone… it will be very difficult for our people to make good treaties in this day and age.
“You’re retrofitting something that’s been so big since the first invasion — first contact — and so it’s very hard to do.”
She added, “When you talk to people who are actively involved in making deals, it’s all about lawyers and interpretation of lyrics.
“And those are treaties: talk to the US, talk to New Zealand, talk to Canada, it’s all about big law firms and a lot of litigation going on to interpret a treaty.”
It is the second time in recent days that earlier comments from Professor Davis have rocked the Yes campaign.
Daily Mail Australia has sought comment from Yes and Professor Davis.
Turned up in one speech she gave on June 28, 2018Professor Davis also said that ‘treaties are about reparations’ and that ‘the Treaty is not an end, but a beginning.’
‘Uluru was a series reform. First the vote to Parliament, then the Treaty,” Prof. Davis said in the speech.
‘Treaties are legal texts. Disputes over interpretation will arise. The treaties are about reparations for past injustices and they are about land and resources.’
The UNSW professor said Voice’s order, followed by the treaty, was “appropriate.”
“The Treaty is not an end, it is a beginning. The Voice to Parliament is not an original idea, it is as old as the call for treaties,” she said.
‘Aboriginal peoples as an extreme minority have always strived for a greater role in decision-making in Australian democracy.
“So the sequence of Voice and then Treaty is correct. We need an interface between communities and the state.’
The comments came just days after fellow Voice architect Pat Anderson revealed the advisory body would “share power with parliament” following a successful “Yes” vote.
In the past, Anthony Albanese made no secret of his position on a treaty (tweet pictured)
The Uluru Declaration from the Heart was issued in May 2017, following two years of consultations with indigenous communities across the country.
Professor Davis sat on the Referendum Council and helped draft the statement.
It forms the basis for the upcoming referendum to be held on October 14 which, if passed, would enshrine an Indigenous vote in the Australian Constitution.
This would mean that an advisory body of First Nations people should be consulted by federal politicians on matters affecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has consistently said the referendum – which polls have indicated will fail – is just about a vote, not a treaty or reparations.
But Albanese was elected after campaigning under the slogan ‘Vote, Treaty, Truth’ and he even pledged to ‘fully implement’ the Uluru Declaration from the heart in his first speech after taking power.