Victorian Greens senator Lidia Thorpe says more First Nations leaders need to be heard in Australia's fight against climate change.
On May 21, Senator Thorpe will lead Victoria's first-ever all-Aboriginal senate ticket at the polls.
Joining her on the ticket will be Taungurung man Adam Frogley, Gunditjmara, Keerray Wurrung, Peek Wurrung, Djab Wurrung woman Sissy Austin, and Wiradjuri, nonbinary person Zeb Payne.
Senator Thorpe told ABC News the history-making senate ticket was an "incredible, exciting moment for the country".
Those voices, Senator Thorpe said, must play a critical role in how the federal government brings about "climate justice".
"First Nations people know our country more than anybody else. We know how to heal our land, our water."
Senator Thorpe said climate change was no longer a future concern, but a pressing issue "at our doorstep" this federal election.
"We must act now. We must have First Nations voices at the forefront, to ensure we do it in a way that heals and protects the country for all of us to enjoy."
First Nations approach 'essential'
Holding a press conference in the regional Victorian town of Castlemaine on Sunday, Bendigo Greens candidate Cate Sinclair echoed Senator Thorpe's views, drawing on the connection between First Nations knowledge and land management.
"Certainly, understanding First Nations' approach to burning and land management is essential," Dr Sinclair said.
"The bush that we have and live in is bush that has evolved over many thousands of years, and it's the First Nations people who were managing that land … so connecting with those people and understanding the processes of burning, is really important."
