by DANIEL TENG – AN OFFICIAL “No” campaign has been launched by Indigenous leaders Warren Mundine and Jacinta Price against a proposed change to the Australian Constitution.
“Recognise a Better Way” calls for broader recognition of Australian Aboriginal communities but does not involve enshrining an almost permanent advisory body to Parliament, which is what the Voice to Parliament proposes.
- “It’s a great opportunity to also recognise other groups who have come to this country and really helped us economically.”
- The Voice proposal has been criticised for its lack of relevance to grass-roots Aboriginal communities.
- The Liberal and Greens Parties are still to reveal their official position on The Voice.
“Recognise a Better Way understands there is much to do in Aboriginal Australia, and we do not believe a Voice to Parliament will have an impact on the ground and in the lives of those in need,” the group said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
“Aboriginal Australians do not need more voices; they need a way into wider society.”
FAVOUR
Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has campaigned in favour of The Voice, promising to run a national referendum this year.
“I would ask the arts community to join with me in urging us to take forward those steps together later this year by joining the campaign for yes to reconciliation, yes to constitutional recognition, and yes to a Voice to our Parliament,” he told attendees of the government’s announcement of a new arts policy on January 30.
The Liberal and Greens Parties are still to reveal their official position on The Voice.
Backers of Recognise a Better Way are calling for a change to the wording of the preamble of the Constitution – a proposal previously earmarked by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott – as well as establishing a parliamentary all-Party standing committee for native title holders.
Mundine, a former Labor Party national president, also floated the idea of recognising the contribution of migrant groups to the country. Australia has a large overseas-born migrant population.
“That’s not just minimising the Indigenous part, that will be a major part of that,” he told ABC Radio.
“It gives us a great opportunity to also recognise other groups of people who have come to this country and really helped us economically.”
FRAMEWORK
He also said the group was looking at how more could be achieved with the existing government framework.
“We’re looking at all the problems we’re having at the moment that can be sorted out from legislation and ministers getting out there and doing their job, without the need to be spending millions,” he said.
One of the main criticisms of The Voice in recent weeks has been its lack of relevance to Aboriginal communities already dealing with excessive crime rates, alcoholism and domestic violence.
In the central Australian town of Alice Springs – where a large community exists – crime rates have skyrocketed in the past six months with assaults and domestic violence rates soaring by 38 per cent and 47 per cent, respectively.
Home and commercial property break-ins have also risen 26 per cent and 56 per cent, while motor vehicle theft has also risen 40 per cent.
The Northern Territory Police Commissioner James Chalker told ABC Radio last week that he believed alcohol had a big role to play in rising criminal activity.
“It is certainly our view that that’s part of the problem at the moment,” he said.
The situation has forced Alice Springs Mayor Matt Paterson to call for federal assistance over the past year, even calling for the military to be called in.
“This isn’t about politics, I don’t care which side of the political aisle you sit on,” he wrote on Facebook.
“At local government level we are restricted in what we can do regarding crime but this is a call for help. Something needs to change immediately.” PC
Divid and Conquer . The ALP are know for this divisional sort of politics . A PM is suppose to lead a nation and its people , work for their well being and interests . But no this guy (Elma Fudd ) and the PM by default has colluded with the Domestic Terrorists Greens to invoke racism, climate hoax ( thus economic crippling ) , has spent more time out of the country than in it , and goes to the tennis with rich friends like Vaccine Gates and ignores the very people he says he cares about ?!