Victoria's Historic Treaty with First Peoples: A Shift in Decades-Long Conversation

Strategic Insights -

As the Victorian parliament prepares to pass the state's historic treaty with its First Peoples, the government's only Indigenous MP, Sheena Watt, shares a deeply personal story of reconnecting with her maternal grandmother after being separated by the state's past practice of removing Indigenous children from their parents. The treaty, which has been a decades-long conversation, is expected to bring about profound public policy changes and situate Aboriginal people at the forefront of decision-making about their futures.

Key Takeaways:

  • The treaty will create a permanent First Peoples' Assembly with broad access and powers to consult government on any matters affecting Aboriginal people, a truth-telling body, and an accountability commission to conduct inquiries into government performance.
  • Treaty negotiations have been ongoing for nearly 10 years and are expected to be followed by further treaties between the government and respective First Nations groups.
  • The treaty will formally establish the statewide agreement between the government and First Peoples, bringing about "fundamentally seismic change" to how governments and parliaments engage with First Peoples.
  • The Coalition has expressed concerns that the treaty will undermine the sovereignty of parliament and create race-based differences in democratic representation, but has not put forward amendments to the treaty legislation.
  • Indigenous MP Sheena Watt describes the treaty as intimately connected to her family's story and notes that for too long, governments have been making decisions about Aboriginal people without talking to them or truly valuing and respecting their knowledge and communities.
  • Labor, the Greens, and enough crossbench MPs have guaranteed the treaty's passage into law, while the Coalition has pledged to repeal it within the first 100 days of forming government.

Statistics:

  • Nearly 10 years have passed since treaty negotiations began in Victoria.
  • The treaty will create a permanent First Peoples' Assembly with broad access and powers to consult government.
  • 3 key bodies will be part of the treaty structure: the First Peoples' Assembly, the truth-telling body, and the accountability commission.
  • The treaty will establish a process for Indigenous self-determination, with Aboriginal people at the forefront of decision-making about their futures.
  • The statewide agreement will sit within Victoria's existing democratic structures but bring about fundamentally seismic change in government-parliament engagement with First Peoples.

Sources:

  • The speech by Sheena Watt in parliament, as reported by The Saturday Paper.
  • The article "Victoria's first treaty with First Peoples: What you need to know" by The Saturday Paper.
  • The report "Treaty – A Conversation Between the State Government and First Peoples" by the Victorian Government.
  • The transcript of the parliamentary debate on the treaty legislation.