The One Nation party plans to vote against fixing Indigenous voices in Congress in the next referendum, and the party leader said the proposal does not address the real prejudices of Indigenous peoples. They argue that there is a risk of racially dividing Australians.
Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson compared Indigenous voices to “apartheid”. This is to give political power to the minority over the majority based on race.
“There is nothing in this proposal that will end the violence, poverty and failure of service delivery in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Said. August 5th press release.
Hanson added she’s confident “We all want to empower Indigenous peoples to seize the many opportunities that come with living, learning and working in Australia.”
“Also, we don’t know how much this entire exercise will cost Australian taxpayers, but the single-question referendum alone will almost certainly cost over $120 million.” she pointed out.
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Currently, the Indigenous Voices strategy establishes an Indigenous body in parliament with the potential to inform and enact legislation on issues relevant to Australia’s Aboriginal peoples. That’s it. However, the formation of such an institution requires a constitutional change through a referendum.
However, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has pushed for the implementation of the changes, refused to reveal details of the proposal until after the referendum, saying he did not want the public to vote against the provisions.
The move has sparked skepticism and calls for more clarity from the coalition and prominent Indigenous figures.
Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, meanwhile, said he remained unsupportive of the proposal because he could not speak for the diverse communities of Aboriginal people around Australia.
“I predict that Boyce will become another bureaucracy that will make government more entrenched in Aboriginal life,” he argued. Editorial on Daily Telegraph of August 1st.
The Commonwealth has previously established indigenous groups such as the National Aboriginal Advisory Council, ATSIC and the National Congress of Indigenous Peoples of Australia.
Congress divided by voice
Nationals leader David Littleproud said his party would remain “open-minded”, but as with other legislation related to indigenous issues, the proposal was deemed “in good faith”. , questioned whether it necessarily leads to positive results.
“Now is the time to tell us what the government is picking out of that report, how this will work, who will be on board with it, and how it will help build trust. Not only with Australia, but also with the Indigenous communities.”
“If governments don’t do this right, they’re going to miss an opportunity.”
Meanwhile, the Greens are calling for stronger action, with Green Party Indigenous spokeswoman Lydia Thorpe calling on the government to also implement the treaty and a “Truth Commission.”
“If the prime minister wants to heal this country and unite its people, he needs to understand that ‘sovereignty is never ceded’ is more than a slogan. It is a call to action. It’s time to tell the truth about ,” Thorpe said on Aug. 5.
Albanians submitted their referendum questions in July.
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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. Please contact her at [email protected]