During a speech to parliament in which she fervently urged Australians to vote “yes,” Linda Burney gave some information about the proposed Indigenous Voice.
The minister for Indigenous Australians declared that supporting the constitutional change would be “an act of patriotism” when speaking at the National Press Club.
She claimed that the organisation was required to address the societal disadvantages that First Nations peoples experience.
“The first thing I want to talk about is why the Voice is necessary. Burney declared.
“And the straightforward explanation is that the gap isn’t narrowing quickly enough.
Governments have made policies for Indigenous Australians for far too long, rather than working with them.
We need the Voice to make that different.
Burney argued that the committee should be established under the Constitution rather than through legislation so that it could offer sincere counsel without worrying about being overthrown by a future administration.
“A Voice or advisory body cannot be truly independent or give frank advice to the government of the day if the government of the day can abolish it with a stroke of a pattern,” she claimed.
And that has been observed.
Burney described the planned body in significant detail, stating that local communities would select it to advise parliament on issues affecting Indigenous Australians.
She continued by saying that although the Voice would be able to advise governments on a variety of matters relating to First Nations peoples, there would be no requirement for them to pay attention.
She stated that “The Voice” would be an impartial, representative advisory group composed of Native Americans and Torres Strait Islanders.
The Voice will be quick, effective, and dedicated to producing tangible results.To be heard is what the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have requested.
Local communities will be consulted, there will be accountability and transparency, and there will be cooperation with existing entities.
If the Yes vote is successful later in the year, Burney also described the body’s immediate responsibilities.
“The Voice will have a full in-tray from day one,” she declared.
“I’ll ask the voice to take into account four key priority areas: housing, jobs, health, and education.
“The Voice will be entrusted with adopting a long-term perspective.
It won’t be sidetracked by the three-year election cycles, unlike the government.
The next generation, not the next term, will be planned for. Its main goal will be to improve the future of the coming generation.
“Now is the time to affect a generational change.”
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Burney also gave a sharp rebuke to the No campaign, charging it with purposeful deceit and division.
She explained that an organisation named Fair Australia was in charge of organising the “No” campaign.
It is bringing Australian politics in the mould of Donald Trump. Post-truth, I say.
And it makes misleading statements with the intent to mislead, such as that the Voice’s recommendation to the government will somehow affect the fundamental democratic concept of one vote, one value. Its goal is to polarise and sow division in our society.
“Don’t let them split us apart.
“The proposed change is both constitutionally sound and legally safe.”
