Jeder Institute’s Yes 23 Statement

What is Indigenous Constitutional Recognition and why is it important?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have long been advocating for recognition in Australia’s constitution. Although they gained the right to vote in federal elections in 1962 and the 1967 Referendum extended the reach of laws to include everyone, including Indigenous people, there is still no official recognition of our First Nations in the Constitution. This is significant because the Constitution governs our country’s operations. In 2017, Indigenous representatives, after more than 15 years of discussions and consultations, came together and crafted the Uluru Statement from the Heart. This statement called for a representative ‘Voice to Parliament’ as the initial step towards constitutional recognition of Indigenous people.

What is a Voice to Parliament?

A Voice to Parliament is a representative body for Indigenous people that offers advice to the Parliament and Government regarding laws and policies affecting their families and communities. It ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are heard during the drafting of legislation, funding decisions for initiatives, and evaluations of programs to assess their impact

What difference will it make?

For non-indigenous Australians the changes to the referendum will make no difference, your life will not change. However, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will finally have a chance, through their representatives on the Voice, to have a say on decisions that impact their lives. While there have been different advisory bodies set up in the past, they haven’t been enshrined in the Constitution, so they have been established or shut down at the whim of the Government of the day. Being enshrined in the Constitution means that the Voice to Parliament will have long term legitimacy and impact.

Will the Voice to Parliament have decision-making powers?

No. At the end of the day Parliament will still be the final decision-makers, but they will be required to take advice directly from First Nations people on issues that impact them. Governments will no longer have an excuse to say they didn’t have a way to get input from First Nations people.

How will the Voice to Parliament work?

The Government, the Referendum Working Group and the Constitutional Expert Group has been consulting with relevant communities and involving them in the design details for how the Voice works.

The question that will be asked at the referendum in the second half of 2023 is as follows:

“A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?”

The Government has also announced how the Constitution will be amended to enshrine the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in law, which is effectively how the Voice will work in practice:

Do First Nations People support constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament?

Most First Nations People, although not all, support a Voice to Parliament. These ideas emerged from the First Nations Regional Dialogues, a series of twelve meetings held throughout Australia. The Dialogues led to a National Convention at Uluru, where over 250 delegates from various regions came together. At Uluru, these delegates collectively developed, wrote, and signed the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which outlined their agreed-upon components and reforms. This process was an expression of their self-determination.

Why is Jeder Institute supporting the campaign for Constitutional Recognition and establishment of a Voice to Parliament?

There are several reasons why Jeder supports these two actions. One big reason is that through considerable conversations and a codesign process across the country Indigenous people have decided that this is the best way to bring about change. Let’s face it the current system has not supported self-determination or community led decision making. By supporting Constitutional Recognition, we are acknowledging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the First Australians who sustainably managed this continent for over 65,000 years prior to colonisation.   We share the vision of community-led development, and people having a voice in change that impacts them. We appreciate the offer from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to join them in creating a better future.

How can I find out more about the campaigns for a Voice to Parliament?

Places to find out more information and how to get involved include: