Labor’s Promised Action on Uluru Statement Distracts From Real Issues: Indigenous MP

Labor’s Promised Action on Uluru Statement Distracts From Real Issues: Indigenous MP
Northern Territory political leader Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Supplied
Updated:

The Labor government’s election pledge to put the Indigenous Voice in the constitution could divert attention away from the real problems that the Aboriginal community in remote areas is dealing with, says an Australian Liberal senator of Indigenous background.

It comes after newly elected prime minister Anthony Albanese promised he would implement the Uluru Statement from the Heart “in full.”

The statement, which was proposed as a petition by the First Nations National Constitutional Convention in 2017, asks the government to establish a permanent body representing the Indigenous community in the parliament through a referendum.

The body would consist of Indigenous Australians whom the government needs to consult with on policies affecting the Aboriginal community, a process called “treaty.”

The Uluru Statement also called for a “truth-telling” process between governments and Aboriginal peoples to present what it described as “historic and ongoing injustices” against Indigenous people.
It was introduced against the backdrop of widespread political discontent stemming from the controversial belief that Aboriginal people are “systematically discriminated” against by others as a result of British colonisation.

However, incoming Alice Springs Country Liberal senator Jacinta Price said that “there are things happening right now that are far more urgent” than recording past injustices, such as “the safety of women and children in regional communities.”

Price told The Australian on Tuesday that the Labor government’s proposed referendum on the Indigenous voice is a “distraction” from important issues facing the community.
Australian Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015. (AAP Image/Mick Tsikas)
Australian Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2015. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

This sentiment is echoed by Warren Mundine, Chairman of Tony Abbott government’s Indigenous Advisory Council, who said the proposals put forward under the Uluru Statement “doesn’t actually meet the needs of the Indigenous community.”

The former National President of the Labor party told The Epoch Times that the government should instead focus on increasing the employment rate, improving health, education and housing standards, as well as tackling crime and safety issues.

“None of these (proposals) fixes any of that.”

While some argued that setting up an Indigenous Voice in parliament is a symbolic move to recognise the Indigenous community, which is believed to have received unfair treatment under the Australian political system, Mundine said it is “living in a fantasy world.”

The well-known Indigenous Australian figure noted Aboriginals have “gone a long way to representation within the parliament,” as the 2022 federal election saw nine and possibly 10 Aboriginal politicians voted into federal parliament—the highest on the record.

“This idea that you need to set up a huge bureaucracy that’s going to cost millions and millions of dollars to operate, is going to solve all these problems, is just living in a fantasy world,” he said. “We’ve got to deal with the reality.”

“It’s nonsense, quite frankly, we are achieving so much now and moving ahead that this is like [saying] we need a bureaucracy. Like I need a hole in the head.”

Mundine added that it is against the Aboriginal culture to have people sitting in Canberra make decisions about the Indigenous communities.

“What we’ve got to do is get leadership on the ground. Under our culture, it’s the traditional owners and clan leaders who make decisions about our country. That’s our religious beliefs in our culture.”

In a 2017 commentary, Indigenous academic Anthony Dillon described the treaties as “symbolism and ‘quick fixes’,” noting that “thousands upon thousands of Aboriginal Australians are already doing perfectly well without a treaty,” including those pushing for it.

“Talking about a treaty or changing the constitution is easy; improving employment and educational opportunities is considerably more difficult,” he wrote.

“So many activists actually think they are doing something constructive when they protest from the sidelines claiming that a treaty is the solution. They are not.”

Nina Nguyen
Author
Nina Nguyen is a reporter based in Sydney. She covers Australian news with a focus on social, cultural, and identity issues. She is fluent in Vietnamese. Contact her at [email protected].
twitter
Related Topics