FAIRA

I question whether the Labor Party's suspension of Senator Payman from the caucus is constitutional. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has publicly described members of the Labor caucus as a team, and that Labor served in parliament as a party, not an individual. This is not the situation in the Australian Constitution where citizens hold the right to choose the person of their choice. The members of parliament have no right to force other members to vote in any particular way and I suspect that where control is implied when votes are cast treason must be considered and sovereignty of the political system comes into doubt. Such a situation does not arise if the individual is able to vote with freedom of choice. It is the citizens who are duped when unreasonable coercion is applied. While serving politicians might have all sorts of reasons for how and why they cast a vote they must be protected from improper coercion by an individual or entity. Senator Payman is correct when claiming 'diversity' in the parliament is sacrosanct, as the constitution assumes the candidate is elected as an individual, regardless of their political affiliations.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-breakfast/katie-kiss-on-first-nations-budget-measures-the-voice-and-racism/103849826 As this early interview in her new position, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Katie Kiss reminds us, in the wake of the latest national Budget announcements, that existing state policies and practices are not enough to meet obligations for human rights and equality. The injustices and sufferings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia continue unabated.

First Nations budget measures 'a welcome start' but more needed - ABC listen The federal government's cost-of-living budget has largely ignored new spending on Indigenous programs as the government seeks to reset its agenda in the wake of the failed Voice to Parliament referendum. While previously announced injections into Indigenous housing and remote jobs have been welcome...

Petition to Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Independent Senator for Victoria

TO: The Honourable the Speaker and Members of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland

Queensland citizens draws to the attention of the House, standing in solidarity with the First Nations Peoples of Queensland, the concerns in the community since the Opposition withdrew its support for the need for the Path to Treaty Act 2023.

Australia formally endorsed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in 2009 and the Path to Treaty Act 2023 supports meeting the Declaration's "minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well¬ being of the Indigenous peoples of the world". Undertaking the Path to Treaty process serves to create a unified and reframed relationship between First Nations Peoples in Queensland and all Queenslanders. This is not a divisive act.

The process of Truth, Healing and Treaty provides a unifying opportunity to build a better, fairer and stronger Queensland, upholding the dignity and the respect due to the world's oldest continuous cultures, languages and knowledge. We believe the process will enrich all Queenslanders' sense of place and identity, particularly future generations.

As Allies of First Nations Peoples, we support the government in its integrity in establishing the First Nations Treaty Institute and the formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry. Promoting self-determination and co-design in developing and determining health, housing and other economic and social programs affecting Indigenous peoples and communities is overdue.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to remain committed to the full implementation of the Path to Treaty process regardless of the recent dissent following the outcome of the Voice Referendum.

TO SIGN THE PETITION:

E-Petitions Conditions of Use - Queensland Parliament E-Petitions The petitions process is governed by the Standing Orders. These Standing Orders enable the Queensland Parliament to accept electronic petitioning (“E-Petitions”).

https://events.unimelb.edu.au/MLS/event/31610-breaking-laws-and-making-laws-on-indigenous

I am pleased to be presenting the Sir Kenneth Bailey Memorial Lecture at the University of Melbourne on 6 September 2023. The timing is perfect, given the confusion building in Australia about the right direction for policies and legal environment for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. In the midst of consternation over details of having input into parliament the leaders of this country have become blind to the importance and relevance of the UN Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples and instead have plunged into the retro politics of how to treat our natives. Take a step back and a deep breath, and remind yourself that empowerment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia is way overdue and no nearer than the 1967 Referendum results.

Breaking laws and making laws on Indigenous Peoples: From the national to the international 2023 Sir Kenneth Bailey Memorial Lecture‘Breaking Laws and Making Laws on Indigenous Peoples: From the National to the International’ Prese...

A noteworthy development following years of requests for the Papal Bulls to be rescinded. FAIRA recently participated in a brief meeting with Cardinal Czerny in Brisbane (assigned at the Vatican to deal with policy on Indigenous Peoples) and met with the Pope in recent years and asked for revision of the Doctrine of Discovery.

Church defends Indigenous peoples: ‘Doctrine of Discovery’ was never Catholic A joint statement from two Vatican Dicasteries formally repudiates “those concepts that fail to recognise the inherent human rights of indigenous peoples, including what has become known as t…

https://events.humanitix.com/faira - LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE

Minister Wyatt has just released the final report on the Indigenous Voice proposal. He announces that the government will now:
• Commence discussions with States, Territories and local governments,
• Appoint a Local & Regional Voice Establishment Group, and
•Engage with stakeholders.

The report can be downloaded. It is 272 pages long.

My first reaction to the report is not enthusiastic, as the report does not seem to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights, or surpass previous government efforts to 'design' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander representation, nor make for easy reading for the stakeholders.
Yes, there are a few innovative ideas - very few - such as creating a formal relationship between 'Voice' representatives and a new joint parliamentary committee.

The election of representatives to the Voice is going to be a cumbersome process which seems to achieve no more than create a fifth version, following the four previous models endorsed by government. Those previous models lasted about seven years on average; mostly being abolished by Liberal administrations each time they came into power.

Of course, as usual, there will be no shortage of people willing to put their hand up to be elected to the Voice, but we can expect that there will be a shortage of voters.

There is almost no indication of the amopunt of resources that would be available to establish and operate this national, regional and local voice. I see there is an intention for almost all elected representatives would be part-time, bar the few top office holders.

And dId I get the impression that the National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA) is the bureaucratic operation in this proposed arrangement? If so this means that more government bureaucrats, not community-based officials will be preparing the paperwork of the Voice?

So now this proposal for the Voice feels like no more than a stripped-down and beaten-up version of ATSIC. The only real change is that for every position on the Voice there must be two people - one man and one woman. Are they so concerned?

Really? If that design feature is so futuristic why is this 'innovation' only applied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander structures and not white institutions like corporations and parliaments, OR, thinking about 'balance' why don't we just have an Aboriginal parliamentarian for every 25 parliamentarians? That sounds like a better approach to equality, rather than just having two people for every job!

This latest proposal to benefit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population seems on a par with Australia's stance at the United Nations General Assembly - along with other former British colonial settler-States of Canada, USA and New Zealand - when it defied the UN human rights stance to vote against the adoption of the Declaration on the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

But sadly Australia's position is now far below the relationships now developed between governments and Indigenous Peoples in Canada, USA and New Zealand. Those nations strongly support the principle of self-determination and have made laws and structural arrangements to respect self-determination. Australia cannot bear to even say the word. And the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members on the Voice 'designer committees' dare not accept self-determination as a fundamental requirement for any modern proposal for race relations in Australia.

The message delivered in this report is a poor and uninspired outcome more than ten years after the major political parties first committed to amend the constitution and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In truth the report reflects the policies and attitudes of the 1950s when States decided Aboriginal affairs and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were to be governed and controlled from above - kept divisive and weak.

There is no undertaking to reach a new level of relationship between the first nations and the dominant, colonial administration. There is no indication that there will be sufficient resources made available to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to participate in any way in the governance of our affairs and our development for the future.
Worst of all there is no indication of an approach for 'Truth and Justice' or 'Treaty' in this report, given that the proposal to change the Constitution was taken off the table years ago.
Before reading the report one should prepare to be bored and greatly disappointed with the work of the 50-odd individuals hand-picked by the government from our population who are associated with this report.

It is not surprising there is no fanfare, event-invites and parliamentary tabling of this report (during the summer holidays).

Perhaps it will get some airing at the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.

Indigenous Voice Co-Design Final Report | Ministers Media Centre Indigenous Voice Co-Design Final Report Release Date 17 December 2021 Media release The Morrison Government has delivered on its commitment to co-design an Indigenous Voice with the release of the Indigenous Voice Co-design Final Report to the Australian Government. Minister for Indigenous Australia...

"We want human rights defenders to have a ‘seat at the UN table’ and be able to effectively and safely engage with UN human rights mechanisms and bodies. We want States and non-State actors to refrain from intimidating or carrying out reprisals against defenders when they engage or seek to engage with the UN."

End Reprisals against defenders at the UN Human rights defenders are essential voices but face intimidation and reprisals when engaging with the United Nations. Join our campaign to !

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