Latest news with #UluruStatementfromtheHeart
West Australian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- West Australian
Australians urged to walk together for reconciliation
As Australians crossed into a new millennium, more than 250,000 people crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge for reconciliation. It was an iconic moment Reconciliation Australia chief executive Karen Mundine said, and one being remembered 25 years later as Reconciliation Week begins with the theme "Bridging Now to Next". "That was such a great moment, to see so many people came out in force and say 'I want to be part of this work, I want to be part of reconciliation'," she told AAP. Reconciliation Week is held each year between May 27 and June 3, marking the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Ms Mundine said to understand where Australia found itself, it was important to understand the past, the triumphs and the setbacks, and the truth of its history. "'Bridging Now to Next' is really about learning from history, it's about grounding us and where we are today and then using all of that combined knowledge to chart a new path forward," she said. Ms Mundine said 25 years after the bridge walk, there was still a need for reconciliation in Australia, with the issues of voice, treaty and truth-telling, raised in the Uluru Statement from the Heart not yet dealt with. "(During the referendum) we weren't able to convince enough Australians to get that over the line," she said. "That's the job of reconciliation to get out there and broaden the Australian community's understanding about history and understanding that impact on First Nations people, not just in the past but as it happens today." Monday marked eight years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued, an anniversary that brought up a lot of emotion for Allira Davis. The Cobble Cobble woman is a co-chair of the Uluru Youth Dialogue and Australia still has a long way to go to meaningfully recognise Aboriginal people. "We still need structural reform in place," she said. "We still need something that represents us. "Unfortunately, Closing the Gap is not working. We've only met four of the 19 targets ... something needs to change." But just as the thousands who crossed the harbour bridge for reconciliation in 2000, Ms Davis said there were plenty of people who stood with First Nations people in October 2023, and continue to do so. "We do have 6.2 million friends that did vote yes," she said. "In terms of reconciliation, I think our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters are still walking with us."
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Australians urged to walk together for reconciliation
As Australians crossed into a new millennium, more than 250,000 people crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge for reconciliation. It was an iconic moment Reconciliation Australia chief executive Karen Mundine said, and one being remembered 25 years later as Reconciliation Week begins with the theme "Bridging Now to Next". "That was such a great moment, to see so many people came out in force and say 'I want to be part of this work, I want to be part of reconciliation'," she told AAP. Reconciliation Week is held each year between May 27 and June 3, marking the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Ms Mundine said to understand where Australia found itself, it was important to understand the past, the triumphs and the setbacks, and the truth of its history. "'Bridging Now to Next' is really about learning from history, it's about grounding us and where we are today and then using all of that combined knowledge to chart a new path forward," she said. Ms Mundine said 25 years after the bridge walk, there was still a need for reconciliation in Australia, with the issues of voice, treaty and truth-telling, raised in the Uluru Statement from the Heart not yet dealt with. "(During the referendum) we weren't able to convince enough Australians to get that over the line," she said. "That's the job of reconciliation to get out there and broaden the Australian community's understanding about history and understanding that impact on First Nations people, not just in the past but as it happens today." Monday marked eight years since the Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued, an anniversary that brought up a lot of emotion for Allira Davis. The Cobble Cobble woman is a co-chair of the Uluru Youth Dialogue and Australia still has a long way to go to meaningfully recognise Aboriginal people. "We still need structural reform in place," she said. "We still need something that represents us. "Unfortunately, Closing the Gap is not working. We've only met four of the 19 targets ... something needs to change." But just as the thousands who crossed the harbour bridge for reconciliation in 2000, Ms Davis said there were plenty of people who stood with First Nations people in October 2023, and continue to do so. "We do have 6.2 million friends that did vote yes," she said. "In terms of reconciliation, I think our non-Indigenous brothers and sisters are still walking with us."
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price launches a fiery attack on Penny Wong: 'Kick in the guts'
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has unleashed on Foreign Minister Penny Wong after she suggested that the defeated Voice proposal was inevitable. Ms Wong sparked a furore on Wednesday by predicting that the Voice - a separate indigenous body with powers to influence government legislation - will still be introduced, despite it being voted down 60 per cent to 40 per cent in a 2023 referendum. 'We'll look back on it in ten years' time, and it'll be a bit like marriage equality,' Senator Wong told the Betoota Talks podcast. 'I always used to say, marriage equality, which took us such a bloody fight to get that done, and I thought, all this fuss... It'll become something, it'll be like, people go "did we even have an argument about that?" Her backing for the Indigenous body came just three days after Anthony Albanese ruled out any attempt to bring back the Voice, telling the leaders' debate: 'It's gone... I respect the outcome (of the referendum), we live in a democracy.' Ms Wong later echoed Mr Albanese's words in an apparent backflip, telling SBS, 'the Voice is gone... The prime minister has made that clear, and the Australian people have made their position clear, and we respect the result of the referendum.' Price, Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, said on Thursday that Ms Wong's comments showed 'utter disrespect' to Aussies. 'That there is a kick in the guts and it demonstrates just how deceitful Labor are,' Ms Price told 2GB's Ben Fordham. 'Labor don't respect the outcome, they don't respect the will of the Australian people, because deep down, as Penny said, "it's inevitable" - she still believes in it. 'And they've never been straightforward any time I've asked them during Senate estimates what they're doing about their commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart. 'Of course there were three components - voice, treaty, truth - and yet they put aside $27million in a contingency account. 'So that tells me they absolutely have plans for things like the Makarrata Commission... It's still all on the table,' Ms Price said. 'This is utter disrespect to the Australian people for Penny to then say after the fact that it's dead. 'Well, it's dead to the Australian people - it's not dead to Labor.' Ms Price, who has First Nations heritage, is the Country Liberal Party's Senator for the Northern Territory. In addition to her role as Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Peter Dutton has said that if elected he would put her in charge of a new government efficiency portfolio similar to the one headed by Elon Musk in Donald Trump's administration. Ms Price caused controversy earlier this month when she used the phrase 'Make Australia Great Again,' a localised version of Trump's signature line.
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
‘The face of hard-right hate': Peter Dutton smashed as the Greens launch campaign
Adam Bandt has launched at the two major parties in an impassioned speech to kick off the Greens' campaign tonight. Standing in front of a backdrop that read 'Keep Dutton out' and 'Get Labor to act', Mr Bandt accused the Liberals of 'picking up the calls of neo-Nazis' and giving a platform to racism. The national conversation shifted back to the Voice this week after Senator Penny Wong hinted that it's not all over for the movement, despite the Prime Minister insisting it was 'gone'. That and the furore over Welcome to Country ceremonies at Dawn Services for Anzac Day has riled up racial debates leading into the final week of campaigning. Peter Dutton has called for a scaling back of the ceremonies, saying they are appropriate when opening official proceedings in parliament, but not at 'the start of a football match' or meetings at work. During his live address, Mr Bandt took aim at the discourse between the two major parties, but took particular aim at the Liberals claiming its 'mask' was slipping as new polling data suggested the Coalition is behind with just three days to go. 'As the wheels start falling off Peter Dutton's campaign and the mask starts to slip to reveal the face of hard-right hate … we reaffirm our support for First Nation's justice in this country, and say to every person who is hurting seeing this debate play out, we are with you,' he said. 'We will not throw the Uluru Statement from the Heart overboard like the government does. 'We stand for truth, treaty, voice and justice. Because we know we have unfinished business in this country.' Mr Bandt also pledged to bring to parliament a bill that would begin a 'national process of truth-telling', claiming 'misinformation' about the Voice was a major factor in its failure. Mr Bandt also criticised both major parties' approach to their campaigns, labelling it a 'battle of the Bandaids' for the current ills plaguing Australians rather than promoting an inspiring vision for the future. Additionally, Mr Bandt called for the inclusion of dental into Medicare to help the cost of living crisis, blasting the current government's inaction on implementing real change that benefits every Australian. Australia heads to the polls this Saturday May 3.
SBS Australia
01-05-2025
- Politics
- SBS Australia
What are First Nations voters looking for in this election?
In the last election, talk of First Nations affairs was everywhere – with Labor's campaign featuring the promised implementation of the reforms described in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The first step was Voice, a constitutionally enshrined advisory body on First Nations affairs. While Labor did keep their promise to hold the referendum, it was defeated in late 2023. Since then, the major parties have taken a different approach to addressing First Nations affairs in their election campaigns. 'It's been completely absent from any of the campaigning from both sides of the major parties, and that's quite deliberate. They're both steering away from it because they don't want the failure of the referendum tarnishing any of their potential chances. Labor has seemingly walked away from the Uluru Statement from the Heart, there's been no mention of Truth or Treaty. The Coalition's response, there has been an assumption that the Australian public does not support Indigenous rights.' That's Dr Bartholomew Stanford, a Torres Strait Islander man from Masig Island and senior lecturer in Indigenous Studies at James Cook University. Labor has pivoted to economic policies, preferencing reforms for programs to increase employment and Commonwealth procurement, funding for First Nations environmental ranger programs and general policy, such as an increase in urgent care clinics. The Coalition's core Indigenous policy is a promise to audit Indigenous expenditure, and address what they call 'wasteful spending'. They have created a new role for 'government efficiency', reflecting moves by the Trump administration in the United States. Dr Stanford believes both sides of government have failed to address key issues affecting First Nations people and fulfilling Indigenous rights – including not implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 'Australia's falling well behind other settler nations and is not meeting basic international standards, which is really undermining any genuine attempts at reconciliation in our country while also tearing at the fabric of Australia's national identity.' These tensions can make election time stressful for First Nations communities and community-controlled organisations, says Catherine Liddle, CEO of SNAICC - a leading organisation for First Nations children and families. 'What we are interested in is policies that make a difference, policies that show that governments are actually doing what they need to do and that is listening to communities. We know that come election times, for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people it's often a really anxious time because we know that the conversations and policies often become a quick race to the bottom.' First Nations communities experience distinct challenges that are often overlooked by policy, as reflected in the reporting from Closing the Gap - which does find that only four out of 19 targets are on track (SNAICC 2025). It's yet another source of frustration and anxiety for First Nations voters. Meanwhile the Australian Electoral Commission has started to send out mobile polling teams, who go to almost 500 remote communities across Australia – many are First Nations communities. One of these communities is Pirlangimpi, in the Tiwi Islands at the top of Australia. Like many remote communities, they face challenges such as over-crowded housing, limited access to health services, and badly maintained infrastructure like roads. NITV's Josh Van Staden travelled to the Tiwis to look into the issues for these communities. He spoke to community members who still advocate for voting. Vox 1 'But it's good for us to vote, because then we can hear about what's going on..." Vox 2 "What is going to happen." Vox 3 "What needs to be done and ..." Vox 1 "Yeah what needs to be done.' ]] Pirlangimpi sits in the seat of Lingiari, an electorate named after a trailblazer for Indigenous land rights – Vincent Lingiari. It's an electorate that spans the majority of the Northern Territory, it is also the electorate with the highest proportion of First Nations voters. The seat is currently held by Marion Scrymgour, a Tiwi and Anmatjere woman and Labor member. When interviewed by Karla Grant for NITV's Living Black this month, Ms Scrymgour said her constituents were devastated by the result of the referendum and would advocate for Truth and Treaty. MS: 'And they wanted to be able to say to governments 'let us drive this policy debate and let us be able to make the decisions and to work with the government to get better outcomes for our communities'.' KG: 'So what do you say that a re-elected government should do about Treaty and Truth-telling?' MS: 'Y'know Karla it's not up to me to say as a re-elected government but certainly as a re-elected member in Lingiari, I will do everything I can as the local member to elevate those voices.' While Dr Stanford welcomes the support for Truth and Treaty from Ms Scrymgour, he also cautions voters to consider whether parties are likely to support the values of their local members when it comes to First Nations Affairs. He also says this same critical thinking should be applied to voting for minor party and independent candidates. Ms Liddle also provides some advice for voters for election day and into the next term of parliament. 'One of the beautiful things about elections is that, it doesn't matter who you vote for, that you can use your voice. And you have the ability to lean into whoever you're going to vote for and say 'Behave better. You are politicians, you have incredible structural and institutional power'. So urge your politicians to step up. That is investing in the policies that make a fairer and more equitable society for all Australians.'
