A landmark referendum backed by the government would give Indigenous people constitutional recognition and greater say on legislation and policy affecting them.
A landmark referendum backed by the government would give Indigenous people constitutional recognition and greater say on legislation and policy affecting them.
The Voice isn’t about granting “exceptional powers granted along hereditary lines”. The proposed constitutional amendment would create a body that can make representations to Parliament - that’s it. The Voice would not have the power to manage money, deliver services or create legislation. It is simply a means for platforming issues affecting Indigenous communities directly to Parliament. In fact, a lot of people aren’t happy with the proposed amendment because they’re worried all of the Voice’s representations will simply be ignored by Parliament.
The general idea here is that peoples Indigenous to the land were colonised and subject to a system of government and law completely foreign to their traditional way of life. The Voice provides a means for people living in remote, traditional communities to express their perspective, needs and concerns through a forum that is compatible to their way of life.
Think about how difficult it would be for someone raised in these communities to get Parliament to acknowledge their perspective otherwise - to move away from their community, get an advanced university degree in politics or law and table legislation to protect their interests.