By Matthew Sims
Federation University reconciliation representatives were involved in a healthy and engaged discussion about the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum.
The referendum would give Indigenous Australians a way to be heard by altering the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Creating and protecting a Voice to Parliament was a key recommendation which came out of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which was signed by more than 250 First Nations people from across Australia at the 2017 First Nations National Constitutional Convention.
The bill to allow the referendum on the Voice to Parliament to go ahead has passed the House of Representatives, with the vote to go before the Senate within the next fortnight.
While a date hasn’t been announced, the Federal Government has stated its intention to hold the referendum sometime between September and December 2023.
Including a number of Nossal High School students, community members and Federation University staff and students, the Berwick campus hosted the discussion on Thursday 1 June.
The speakers were Federation University associate deputy vice-chancellor of reconciliation Professor Andrew Gunstone, National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice Advisory Board member Adjunct Professor Sue-Anne Hunter, social work, community and human services lecturer Eva Orr, as well as University of Melbourne Pro Indigenous Vice-Chancellor Barry Judd over video call.
The event involved each presenter responding to a number of questions, including what the referendum means to them and what advice they would give to people looking to learn about the proposed changes to the Constitution.
As a Wurundjeri and Ngurai Illum Wurrung woman and a Yoorook Justice Commission commissioner, Ms Hunter said the main goal of the Voice would be to ensure the government listened to the needs of Indigenous people.
“It means being heard,” she said.
“By listening, you start to heal the nation.
“The uncomfortable conversations need to be had.”
Professor Judd said he thought protecting the Voice within the Constitution would offer hope.
“I just can’t understand the advocates of ‘No’
“A ‘no’ vote will place Australia in a more difficult position.”
Embedding the ‘Voice’ in the Constitution would recognise the significant place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but importantly would also mean that it can’t be shut down by successive governments.
Of Palawa descent, Ms Orr said the Voice was a “good start” towards reflecting and repairing the history of Indigenous people’s treatment.
“It’s actually recognising we were first here…and land was never ceded,” she said.
“It’s only the beginning at looking at over 200 years.”
Ms Hunter said it was important that all Australians understand the significance of their vote.
“Don’t be a bystander,” she said.
“Think about what legacy we leave for the future generations.
“We’ve all got a part to play.”
Professor Gunstone said the discussion was among a number of other discussions at other campuses including Ballarat, Brisbane and Gippsland.
“The university is very committed to the Uluru Statement of the Heart,” he said.
“We think it’s important to have informed choices.”
“Over many decades, national and international experiences and research clearly demonstrate that Indigenous programs have a significantly higher chance of success when Indigenous peoples are genuinely engaged in designing and implementing these programs.”
The university launched the National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth, and Justice in March this year.
Professor Gunstone said the centre’s work included providing advice to other organisations about their Reconciliation Action Plans, as well as Federation University’s own Reconciliation Action Plan.
“I’ve had some really great conversations already with academic experts across a breadth of disciplines, ranging across health and wellbeing, the arts, science, and education,” he said.
For more information about the university’s reconciliation efforts, visit federation.edu.au/reconciliation