Nine years on and still no voice

By PAT ANDERSON and  MEGAN DAVIS

Tuesday May 26, marks nine years since the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart was offered as an olive branch to the Australian people to move forward as a nation together for a better future.

Nine years on, its core message and mandate remain as urgent, relevant and necessary as ever.

The Uluru Statement endures because it speaks to structural reform, self-determination, and our shared national identity. It is one of the most significant reform documents in this nation’s history, a political statement grounded in integrity, consensus and a desire for inclusion in the Australian Constitution, and a more enhanced participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australian democratic decision-making.

To this day, it is still the culmination of Australia’s largest First Nations consultation in history and remains at the heart of what communities have historically wanted.

Referendum a political loss

It is from that foundation that we continue to advocate for Constitutional Recognition. That we continue to push ahead with the mandate of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

The Referendum result was a political loss. Political loss is a normal part of political contestation. And alongside the 6.2 million Yes voters, we continue on in our advocacy for constitutional recognition.

What has become increasingly clear since the Referendum is that the problems and issues facing communities have not disappeared but are further entrenched and, in some respects, have become drastically worse. The Closing the Gap reports show no progress.

Governments continue to announce policies, reviews, inquiries, and programs without proper consultation with communities. Incorporated entities are not the same as individuals living in community and representing community, being chosen by their communities to represent their voices.

Communities must have a guaranteed say

We are still no closer to closing the gap; in fact, we are further away. Let us be very clear, the need for a Voice has not diminished. If anything, the failures of the current systems have made the case for reform even stronger.

The exhaustion felt across the nation right now regarding Aboriginal Affairs is undeniable. People are tired of watching governments repeat the same mistakes while expecting communities to carry the burden of broken systems.

They are tired of the Federal Government hiding behind the Closing the Gap agreement – which is not legally binding – and federalism to avoid showing the leadership demanded of them by the Australian people in the 1967 referendum.

On the ninth anniversary of the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart, we reiterate that communities must have a guaranteed and direct say in decisions that impact their lives.

About Uluru Dialogue

The Uluru Dialogue represents the cultural authority of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and leads community education on the Uluru Statement. The Uluru Dialogue is based out of the Indigenous Law Centre (ILC), UNSW Sydney. The ILC has worked exclusively on the right to self-determination for First Peoples for 40 years.

• Uluru Dialogue Co-Chairs – Pat Anderson AO and UNSW Scientia Professor Megan Davis AC