The controversial Indigenous Voice to Parliament has received local backing with Hunter Workers throwing its full support behind the proposal.
While many believe it is a token gesture by the Australian Government, others feel it’s a great opportunity to make policies with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rather than for them.
Hunter Workers passed a resolution this week committing to endorse the “yes” campaign at the upcoming referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Australian constitution.
The region’s union peak body agreed at its executive meeting to work closely with the First Nations Workers Alliance and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders to educate members on the Uluru Statement.
“For far too long, governments have excluded First Nations Australians from the process on policies that will affect them,” secretary Leigh Shears said.
“We continue to see the consequences of this and the impact across our communities.
“Discrimination, wage theft, exploitation and disadvantage.
“We now have an opportunity to affect real change. Enough is enough.
“It’s the absolute bare minimum to expect our First Australians voices are heard through a genuine process of consultation with government on laws that will directly affect them.”
Mr Shears said Hunter Workers had long supported the advancement of matters important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“It is in this continued tradition of working with, advocating for and walking alongside our First Nations people, the NTHC executive commits to the success of a ‘Yes’ campaign in the upcoming constitutional referendum for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution,” he added.
ACTU Indigenous officer Lara Watson admitted the vote on a First Nations voice was an historic opportunity for the country to take a step towards reconciliation, which we couldn’t afford to miss.
“It will give a permanent line of communication for Indigenous peoples to the Australian Government and allow us to have a say on issues that affect us before laws are drafted,” she said.
“We have seen two centuries of failed policy directed towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by governments, which had little or no engagement with our communities.
“The CDP (community development program), the Northern Territory Intervention and other policy failures shows us that without a First Nations Voice, Australian Governments will continue to make policy which disadvantages and disempowers Indigenous people.
“This has to end.”
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