#uluru statement

Maḏayin Exhibition Opening: W. Waṉambi Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Megan Davis.

Professor Megan Davis has officially moved to Boston to take up the Whitlam Fraser Chair of Australia Studies at Harvard University.

for anyone in Australia, please do some reading beyond just the No Campaign and conservative media! There is so so much misinformation about what The Voice actually is and what it does.

Also remember - there is no 'progressive no'. We may agree that the government hasn't done enough, that a treaty should come first, and so much more action is needed. But voting no is slamming the door shut. It's not progressives winning, it's conservatives and racists and self-serving politicians. A no vote isn't progressive, it won't encourage the government to do more. If you think that the Lib party wants a no result so they can implement a better alternative, you've been deceived. There is no 'no, but because I want more action and a treaty' option. The yes will be the indicator of this, but a no will be taken as 'no action is needed' and 'we don't believe we need to recognise our country's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people'.

Comment: In the first proposed referendum for altering the Australian constitution since the vote on a republic in the late nineties, Australians will be asked to recognise and give some advisory power to Australia’s aboriginal or first nations peoples.

Running where: NSW and QLD

Prior reviews: None, this is a new party

The Indigenous­–Aboriginal Party of Australia (IAPA) is, as the name implies, a party run by and for Indigenous Australians. Membership is open to all; the leadership comes from multiple Indigenous nations. The homepage has a tagline that Indigenous issues are Australia’s issues, and their goal is specifically to have more Indigenous voices in parliament.

The party emerged in Wilcannia, NSW, from a deep sense of grievance that other parties paid lip service to Indigenous needs and aspirations but that nothing much ever seems to change. They emphasise that this has led to disengagement from politics, especially among youth, and so they aim for IAPA to provide them with a voice and rekindle public engagement.

All of these are noble, important goals.

The policies are exactly what you would expect, in particular a firm commitment to the Uluṟu Statement. Their other policies include saving sacred sites (especially from mining companies), greater use of traditional practices of caring for Country, no child removals, stopping Indigenous deaths in custody, reducing the alarmingly high Indigenous incarceration rates, and Indigenous control of education in Indigenous communities. Given the geographical origins, there is a profound concern with the health of Baaka (the Darling River), and they want to encourage Indigenous business with government committing to making 10% of its purchases from Indigenous businesses. I’m not sure how feasible that is in all types of procurement but it's a straightforward policy that opens discussion of how governments can contribute tangibly to Indigenous economic prosperity.

It's horrifying how straightforward and basic some of this is. They want an Indigenous suicide prevention hotline staffed by trained Indigenous volunteers. That really can’t be much to ask. And the housing policy is just depressing: all they want are habitable homes with secure tenure and in culturally appropriate locations. It’s the least a community deserves.

This is a party that simply wants an opportunity for their people to thrive.

My recommendation: Give the Indigenous­–Aboriginal Party of Australia a good preference.