Thursday, 5 October 2023

Voice to Parliament

Jordan CRUGNALE (Bass) (09:52): An invitation, a meaningful step, an easy answer: yes. The Uluru Statement from the Heart is a remarkable offering to the Australian people. Take the time to read it. It is immensely powerful; I was in tears. As is written:

We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country. When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country.

I want to live in an Australia that recognises and gives voice to First Peoples in our founding document and that honours, celebrates and respects the oldest continuous culture on the planet. I want to live in an Australia that sings true our national anthem and our endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in 2009 and that feels pride when we look into our national mirror and when the world picks up the magnifying glass and focuses in on our Australia. There is a lot of misinformation out there swamping the airwaves. Its intent is to sow fear and confusion, not hope and unity. When governments listen, you get better information, make better decisions and have better outcomes. You also learn of practices, initiatives, programs and ideas that can be shared to benefit all. Let us walk together: yes.