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| ‘Pragmatic’ approach now likely in Indigenous voice to parliament, Pat Dodson says | ‘Pragmatic’ approach now likely in Indigenous voice to parliament, Pat Dodson says |
| (5 months later) | |
| Indigenous Australians will become more “pragmatic” in efforts to construct a voice to parliament after Malcolm Turnbull’s rejection of the proposal, Labor senator Pat Dodson has said. | Indigenous Australians will become more “pragmatic” in efforts to construct a voice to parliament after Malcolm Turnbull’s rejection of the proposal, Labor senator Pat Dodson has said. |
| Dodson and Liberal MP Julian Leeser, the co-chairs of the joint standing committee on Indigenous recognition, said the committee was considering models with a greater focus on local and regional consultation, but Dodson also warned they were no replacement for a voice to parliament. | Dodson and Liberal MP Julian Leeser, the co-chairs of the joint standing committee on Indigenous recognition, said the committee was considering models with a greater focus on local and regional consultation, but Dodson also warned they were no replacement for a voice to parliament. |
| The co-chairs made the comments after a meeting at the Australian National University’s first nations governance forum on Tuesday at which several international experts urged it to adopt constitutional recognition to grant Indigenous self-determination. | The co-chairs made the comments after a meeting at the Australian National University’s first nations governance forum on Tuesday at which several international experts urged it to adopt constitutional recognition to grant Indigenous self-determination. |
| Indigenous recognition: Turnbull refuses to commit to referendum council's proposal | |
| The committee has been set up to chart the next steps after Turnbull rejected the Uluru statement’s overwhelming consensus from Indigenous Australians in favour of a constitutionally-entrenched voice to federal parliament. | The committee has been set up to chart the next steps after Turnbull rejected the Uluru statement’s overwhelming consensus from Indigenous Australians in favour of a constitutionally-entrenched voice to federal parliament. |
| Asked whether the Indigenous community would accept anything less than the Uluru statement, Dodson said “people will become pragmatic about some of this”. | Asked whether the Indigenous community would accept anything less than the Uluru statement, Dodson said “people will become pragmatic about some of this”. |
| “The question of the permanency or guarantee of a voice in the constitution is a nice idea but it’s very difficult to see how you would be guaranteed an opportunity to have a say on legislation and policies at every point,” he said. “It’s still under investigation.” | “The question of the permanency or guarantee of a voice in the constitution is a nice idea but it’s very difficult to see how you would be guaranteed an opportunity to have a say on legislation and policies at every point,” he said. “It’s still under investigation.” |
| Leeser said the committee is considering “local, regional and national” mechanisms for consultation, and hoping to recommend a range of proposals that are “true to [the] Uluru [statement] and true to the fact we need some local voices”. | Leeser said the committee is considering “local, regional and national” mechanisms for consultation, and hoping to recommend a range of proposals that are “true to [the] Uluru [statement] and true to the fact we need some local voices”. |
| “Certainly in the communities that we’ve spoken to in the Kimberley, western New South Wales, in the Northern Territory, that’s the message we’ve been hearing all the time: ‘We’ve got local problems and local issues’. | “Certainly in the communities that we’ve spoken to in the Kimberley, western New South Wales, in the Northern Territory, that’s the message we’ve been hearing all the time: ‘We’ve got local problems and local issues’. |
| Dodson said the committee is considering governance models that “get a balance between regional and national [consultation]”, as well as international examples such as the Maori’s reserved seats in New Zealand’s parliament. | Dodson said the committee is considering governance models that “get a balance between regional and national [consultation]”, as well as international examples such as the Maori’s reserved seats in New Zealand’s parliament. |
| He said it was not clear how a voice would be “effective within the parliament” because the government controls the legislative agenda and “by the time the government gets a bill together that goes through the machinery steps of [parliament], you’re really playing catch-up”. | He said it was not clear how a voice would be “effective within the parliament” because the government controls the legislative agenda and “by the time the government gets a bill together that goes through the machinery steps of [parliament], you’re really playing catch-up”. |
| After Turnbull’s rejection, Labor has proposed pushing ahead with legislation for an Indigenous voice as an interim step before moving to a constitutionally-entrenched body when bipartisan support exists. | After Turnbull’s rejection, Labor has proposed pushing ahead with legislation for an Indigenous voice as an interim step before moving to a constitutionally-entrenched body when bipartisan support exists. |
| In the committee hearing Labor’s Linda Burney noted the committee had an “incredibly complex” task because Uluru had called for a constitutional body, but constitutional changes by a referendum were “difficult to get up”. | In the committee hearing Labor’s Linda Burney noted the committee had an “incredibly complex” task because Uluru had called for a constitutional body, but constitutional changes by a referendum were “difficult to get up”. |
| With Indigenous recognition, Turnbull should listen, not lecture | Shireen Morris | |
| Mattias Ahren, a law professor at the Arctic University of Norway, said this was essentially a “strategic question for Australia” but strongly recommended a constitutional body which would guarantee its autonomy and give Indigenous people a “direct relationship with the Australian government and parliament”. | Mattias Ahren, a law professor at the Arctic University of Norway, said this was essentially a “strategic question for Australia” but strongly recommended a constitutional body which would guarantee its autonomy and give Indigenous people a “direct relationship with the Australian government and parliament”. |
| Ken Coates, the Canadian research chair from the school of public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, said constitutional change had a “huge importance” because it guaranteed “real participation” and gave recognition “real substance for Indigenous folks”. | Ken Coates, the Canadian research chair from the school of public policy at the University of Saskatchewan, said constitutional change had a “huge importance” because it guaranteed “real participation” and gave recognition “real substance for Indigenous folks”. |
| Coates said it would be “terrible not to get constitutional change but it would be even worse to lose it”, accepting a legislative body as a compromise “if you couldn’t have constitutional amendment”. | Coates said it would be “terrible not to get constitutional change but it would be even worse to lose it”, accepting a legislative body as a compromise “if you couldn’t have constitutional amendment”. |
| Dalee Sambo Dorough, an associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, said constitutional change presented an opportunity to be “as comprehensive as possible” in giving Indigenous people a say in all matters affecting them. | Dalee Sambo Dorough, an associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, said constitutional change presented an opportunity to be “as comprehensive as possible” in giving Indigenous people a say in all matters affecting them. |
| Barrister Brian Crane warned that after attempts in Canada to achieve Indigenous self-government through constitutional change in the 1980s ended in defeat, “politicians laid down their tools” and said it would not be achieved in that generation. | Barrister Brian Crane warned that after attempts in Canada to achieve Indigenous self-government through constitutional change in the 1980s ended in defeat, “politicians laid down their tools” and said it would not be achieved in that generation. |
| But after that failure a large number of self-government agreements were negotiated in the form of treaties, granting constitutional recognition in individual cases, he said. | But after that failure a large number of self-government agreements were negotiated in the form of treaties, granting constitutional recognition in individual cases, he said. |
| Leeser concluded the committee meeting by noting there were “different approaches” internationally but “there is no panacea” to issues facing Indigenous peoples. | Leeser concluded the committee meeting by noting there were “different approaches” internationally but “there is no panacea” to issues facing Indigenous peoples. |
| “The importance of changing minds is at the heart of what we’re trying to do.” | “The importance of changing minds is at the heart of what we’re trying to do.” |
| Indigenous Australians | Indigenous Australians |
| Australian politics | Australian politics |
| Pat Dodson | Pat Dodson |
| Indigenous peoples | Indigenous peoples |
| Labor party | Labor party |
| Malcolm Turnbull | Malcolm Turnbull |
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