Remote Indigenous community leaders have told a federal inquiry it would be “nonsensical” for the voice to parliament to be made up of regional and local bodies without a national body advising Canberra.
Leaders from remote communities in Cape York, the Torres Strait and Far North Queensland passionately advocated for a voice during Wednesday’s public hearing in Cairns.
Ned David, chairperson of the Gur A Baradharaw Kod Torres Strait Sea and Land Council, told the parliamentary committee into the referendum that the model advocating local and regional bodies, put forward by the Coalition, did not make sense.
“I couldn’t think of anything more nonsensical to have just a voice for the regional and nothing to the formal connection to a national setting, I think that’s silly, you need that connection and that seat at the table,” David said.
“I can’t see how you would have a disconnect between a voice at a regional and local level and not one that sits across a national narrative. I can’t see the justification or the rationale behind that,” he said.
He said that while it was important to contextualise regional and local issues and priorities, there must be a conduit to national decision making.
“All the big decisions that are made nationally that impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, all First Nations people are done at that level,” he said.
Cape York Land Council chairperson, Richard Ah Mat, also advocated for the voice be able to make representations to executive government.
“To be genuine and to have the sort of influence and authority you would need to have both, you would need to be able to talk to both the executive and parliament,” Ah Mat said.
David dismissed claims the voice would trigger a deluge of legal action as “fear mongering”. He said claims like this stirred unfounded fears that Indigenous people would seek to claim title over people’s back yards after the Mabo decision.
“This is the fear mongering that government can do …. Can anybody answer this question? What back yard has been claimed by a Blackfulla in any Australians yard?” he said.
“Whether we’re black, white or brindle, we are all Australians. We deserve the same rights as every single Australian. And that’s what we’re asking for.”
Torres Strait Regional Council deputy mayor, Getano Lui, told the inquiry that for too long his people had been ignored by governments of all persuasions.
“When we talk about the voice, we’re not talking about a voice to be heard. We’re talking about our voice to be listened to,” he said.
Lui said communities in the Torres Strait had been “crying on the shoulders of governments” to no avail.
“This is a unique opportunity, something that we don’t want to lose. We hope that the referendum will be successful. Things will change for the best,” Lui told the committee.
“We are talking about sovereign rights to be recognised by governments to our people.”
Northern Peninsula Area Council mayor, Patricia Yusia, said housing and economic opportunities and empowerment were critical issues that must be addressed to improve the disadvantage experienced by First Nations people
“When we do not have a stable house or we live in an overcrowded house, it is nearly impossible to adequately participate in school and education, attend work and look after our health,” Yusia said.
She said communities were frustrated that decisions affecting people’s daily lives were being made thousands of kilometres away.
“These decisions have been made in Canberra without adequate consultation or consideration of what it means on the ground.”
