Jack, I have to totally agree with you. Many language groups had no opportunity to be included at the Uluru meeting, including my children’s language group.
Any such “Voice” would only be inclusive and represent all aboriginal groups if it included a member from each currently functioning tribe. This would ensure the remote and regional voices were heard, however, given the totally disparate needs of the different types of aboriginal groups, it’s difficult to see any type of consensus coming from this type of group.
As it is, we already had an indigenous advisory group to government. I’m not sure what another group would achieve.
What does need to happen is that all mention of race is removed from the constitution, which would ensure no indigenous only legislation could be enacted and guarantee total equality for all citizens.

Are you on the electoral roll? Do you bother to vote?

And like anyone else, your representative speaks for you and your issues, or doesn't get your vote next time! And the same for every Australian!

If you want indigenous voices, preselect them, then vote for them!

We're gradually seeing indigenous faces in parliament, Most of who seem well-grounded down to earth folk with good heads on their shoulders!? I live in one of the largest electorates in Q'ld, and my representative isn't convinced that climate change is real!?

Sometimes, global issues and what we must do about them become more important than piss-ant local, special interest issues!

Time to get real about real issues, like how to end domestic abuse, child sexual abuse and what needs to be done to improve indigenous self-determination and commercial opportunity! And for that, there's not a white way, or a black way, just a right way!

And start by ensuring indigenous Australians have the very best attendance in our schools, get educated and go on to university and earn a degree. Become doctors, lawyers and obtain degrees in business management and political science! The latter an oxymoron if ever there was one!

If you want a place in the white man's world as an equal!? Then earn it! It won't ever be yours even if you are the smartest guy in the room with the biggest brain!? if you cannot speak in the dominant culture's language! And while you are at it call a spade a spade and own your own behaviour!

The pages of history, once accurately written can never ever be erased! Can't change it or ask others who weren't present or involved or responsible, to accept some blame based on their skin colour.

Moreover, there's only one constant in the universe and that constant is constant change. You must change with it or be steamrolled by it!
Alan B.

Personally I would love to see Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine in leading roles in our Parliament. Unfortuntaly they are not part of the 'swamp' that uses activist as pawns in rewriting history, ingraining racial hatred into the young and demonising some of our great British hertiage. With lying liberal media like the abc we will continue to see race division while ignoring child abuse, domestic violence and youth crime which are never addressed. The 'invaders' from hundreds of years ago will be blamed for non action and perpeuate the victim status allowing many half, quarter or tenth caste leaches to suck the public purse while claiming victimhood.

Big Nana.

Your on the mark voicing a desire for true equality.
Unfortunately, in political Nu-Speak, equality has a meaning totally different to its English translation. What's in a word?

In community terms, politically motivated equality will fail. In fact, I clinically conclude community divisions will widen.
The evidence for that conclusion is clear from your own comments, and that of the author. If aboriginal inclusiveness is missing inside the club, it is unreasonable to expect agreement outside of it.

The "other" question is, does the proposed innovation of constitutional change, advance the aboriginal cause of equality in the real sense or, does it actually retard it by alienating aboriginal intergration with the broader community, by the current process.

Dan

SDFSDTG

Hi Alan,

Yes, we can't reverse history, but I can't help thinking that many Indigenous activists believe that it can be done, if only people complain enough. As well, there is a sort of consequentialism in people's thought that whatever happened, given that whites had total power (very debatable), then everything that is claimed to have happened to Indigenous people was their fault, from their deliberate actions.

And on top of all those misconceptions of reality, there is the worship of Magic Bullets, the One True Solutions: a treaty, a third house of parliament, 'sovereignty', or even more fuzzily, a 'Voice'. Yeah, that will do it.

Surely the point about a treaty - apart from the necessary fact that it precedes what is to come, it doesn't come AFTER 200 years of history - is what is in it ? What is the point of anybody getting up off their backsides and lifting a finger, if they don't know what it's for ?

I suspect that the great majority of Indigenous people aren't really interested: in Victoria, with thirty thousand Indigenous people able to vote in the coming elections for members of a state Indigenous Assembly (to be tasked with drawing up a draft treaty), so far only two thousand people have enrolled - hardly a ringing endorsement, let alone unanimity of support, for the process. And of those, one could surmise that not many more than the relations and friends of the seventy-odd candidates will end up voting - maybe five per cent of the total adult population. A bit like the old ATSIC days, when some people were 'elected' to paid positions with barely a dozen 'votes'.

People in the North complain that bodies like ATSIC did nothing for them, only for the urban population. The urban population complained that nothing was done for them, it all went to remote communities. But the process certainly supported many of the usual Indigenous elite, perhaps thousands, in federal and state ATSIC jobs. And their relations and friends, of course.

So let's do it all again, shall we ?

Joe

I am glad to see that most people (even Runner) here are on the same page as Jacinta Price and that she isn't a voice crying in the wilderness. I agree with you Jack, that she got a pretty rum deal on QANDA. Reasoned argument trumps abuse any time and the moderator failed badly. The debate needs to be led by more people like you and her and less by urban aboriginal wanabees and their supporters who don't know what it is like in the real world out in the sticks.
David

I don't have a problem with a treaty and indigenous Australians mentioned the preamble of a reworded constitution. Always providing a bill of irrevocable rights that apply equally to every citizen regardless of race or ethnicity, is also mandatory.

With that done, let the chips fall where they may and folk given equal opportunity to succeed, in every sense of the word.

What this country needs are unifying policies, not even more division and the revision of history. If what happed, happened and where it happed!? Then let the historical record show it, warts and all!

But don't expect folk who weren't there to shoulder any responsibility for what occurred based on the colour of their skin!

That ain't justice, just racial discrimination and some from of racially motivated, reverse apartheid/professional victimhood, replete with dollar signs writ large?
Alan B.

It must also be said that those colonists who wrought such savagery on the native inhabitants back in the 1800s were also the ancestors of a large percentage of those people who currently claim aboriginality. So who is this treaty going to be between? That is something of a paradox. Once again, at the risk of repeating myself, aboriginals already have a voice in the federal parliament and if that is not enough, well get out and vote for people like Jack Wilkie-Jans, Jacinta Price and Warren Mundine.
David

VK3AUU,
I have drawn attention many times to the decendents of the perpetrators bleating victim !
Those people could so easily apologise to themselves, accept the apology & move on.
The only drawback is that there's no funding for that scenario.

That is an interesting scenario. The stupid Victorian government is currently negotiating a treaty. It will be interesting to look at the antecedents of the aboriginals who put their signatures to it. If they are not full bloods they can hardly qualify to be legal representatives. Evan those who are doing the negotiations should also be full bloods, not just the usual wanabees who make the most noise.
David

VK3AUU and Indy,

finally I see comments like yours bearing sense and logic based on what I have been saying for as long as I can remember.
You've both hit the nail on the head.
"FULL BLOODS", not wannabees.
Only full bloods can claim aboriginality.
And further still as has also been pointed out in an earlier post, we must stop "classifying" different groups, nationalities, and races, based on their ancestral origins.
If you're born in Australia, you're Australian, so when it comes to govt, it should think in terms of one people one country, to do otherwise is divisive and results in an unpleasant and unsociable society and intolerance and derision towards each other, as is the current state of affairs.

Dear VK3AUU,

Mate, firstly Jacinta Price is a shocker who has been lured into the honey pot of the far right and any of the decent ideas she may have had are being swamped by the toxic dross who make up places like the IPA.

Secondly are you going to deny any Jewish people the right of return to Israel unless they can show they are fullblooded Jewish?

Steeleredux, you obviously have no idea of the problems which need to be overcome within the aboriginal communities of Northern Australia. Jacinta is one of the best placed persons to be campaigning for their betterment.
Altrav, welcome to Victoria where because of the government's drive to have a treaty with every tribal group in the state, they are effectively going to drive a wedge between indigenous wanabees and the rest of the community. If you don't believe me the have a look at this Victorian government web page and try not to choke.
https://w.www.vic.gov.au/aboriginalvictoria/heritage/welcome-to-country-and-acknowledgement-of-traditional-owners/acknowledgement-of-traditional-owners.html

David

'Mate, firstly Jacinta Price is a shocker '

you are pathetic Steelie. She has far more brains and sense than the activist industry who love to virtue signal while lining their pockets. Kind of like your mate Trudeau who has always been one of the worlds greatest virtue signallers. As Tucker Carlson says 'virtue is a cover for sin'. You must feel so virtous mocking this black woman. I suppose you were one of the bigots who tried to have her banned for speaking recently. Just hate people who show up the sickeness of socialism.

You only need to have a Jewish mother to be legally Jewish. What has that got to do with it. Runner, he knows no better. If anyone takes the time to get to actually know Jacinta, you will find that her reasoned arguments top any abuse that she might get from her ill informed opponents. She and her parents are a considerable force for good in the aboriginal community. Her mantra, that we should all be treated equally is to be applauded.
David

The whole show has become a total mess with bandwagon jockeys vying for position.
When someone with Samoan & PNG & Japanese great grand parents, Japanese & Aust grand parents, Japanese, Javanese & white Aust parents can become Indigenous Australian of the year then well ?

Indy,

exactly the point I've been banging on about.
There's too much to be gained, either in social status, because apparently it's cool to be "black" these days, or financial, as the govt has been dishing out billions in money and assistance.
I have still not heard any justifiable reason as to why a particular group of AUSTRALIANS have been assisted so heavily.
Now if the idiots in Canberra, and around the country were truly concerned about living standards and conditions for people, they would focus their attention and money on those poor and struggling lot living it tough on the streets.
Everyone benefits, the homeless because they would be better off than on the street, and for the community as a whole, especially those who express displeasure at the sight of them, would be appeased by the relocation of these poor souls.
So it would be a win, win.
The blacks have had it too good for too long and the project has been a huge failure.
I say remove all benefits, including housing, give the houses to those who show a genuine need and respect and gratitude and not malice and indignation!
The blacks malign us for many of the benefits that some would die for, so stop the benefits and re-locate them back in the bush where they are apparently happy.
If only so as they will not have to see any white fellas, which is apparently the main cause of their angst.
Similarly, we don't have to see them, apparently the main cause of the white man's angst.
So there you have it, again, win win.

ALTRAV,
The real Indigenous don't agree with the half-baked pretenders anyway !