So unless you are ATSI this is not about you, and not about you feeling good about yourself.
That's a right, and not a power.Everyone has the power to approach politicians or communicate with them. I have written to the PM a number of times.
No they can't. They can try, but they are not likely to be successful. That's why hundreds of $millions is spent by lobby groups to get the attention of government.ATSI people can make appointments with the appropriate Ministers if they have sufficient concerns the same as anyone else, or take their case to the media.
You are right. They need a body that that takes their concerns seriously, prioritises them for action, and presents them directly to those in Parliament that can effect change.The point is that they don't need a Constitutional voice to express their concerns.
I hate to repeat how your understanding of this topic is so poor, but do you actually have a clue about ATSI culture, and the effects of white settlement?If ATSI people or anyone else want to live in remote communities they have to expect less services than in the big cities, it's a matter of how much the government can afford to spend on a few people.
The role of governments at every level is to ensure as best they can that this is not the case. But compounding your ignorance is the fact that most ATSI people never had a choice as to the land they could occupy, and were largely unable to continue the lifestyles that allowed them to live off traditional lands without external support."... they have to expect less services than in the big cities"
I am sure that with the Voice in place there would be many "activists" who could work from the grass roots upwards to air their concerns and welcome the opportunity to be involved in developing responses. That's exactly what the Voice is being proposed to achieve, although not necessarily with activists.I wonder how this will go when sometime down the track the Voice says something the political activists aligned with the governing party (of whichever persuasion) strongly disagree with?
You will have to explain how or why the Voice would act beyond its ambit. And even if it tried, it would immediately relinquish its right to representation.Will they grit their teeth and accept as you point out it's not about them?
The Voice cannot make demands so that's a very simple "no."Or will they revert to colonialism and demand that government do what the city-centric activists want instead?
What really dumbfounded me with your reply in this instance is this sense: "
"... they have to expect less services than in the big cities"
Were you dispossessed and made to live remotely?Maybe I need a Constitutional Voice too.
You have got this back to front because you are wilfully ignorant.As an aside , it seems rather paternalistic to tell ATSI people that they can have a Voice , but that a bunch of mostly white people will tell them how it should be constituted, managed and elected and what powers they should have.
You will never understand the issues that led to the Voice as you keep coming up with these nonsensical ideas.If they formed their own group, like say the unions, they would have much less restrictions.
The dispossession factor is certainly relevant, but the "gap" could be caused by a number of factors including ATSI people being unwilling to accept white man's medicine or education, preferring traditional ways which only serves to isolate them from the modern world.Were you dispossessed and made to live remotely?
Did the local council draw up Boundary Road in your nearest town in order to confine you further?
If @Smurf1976 had a relevant point he would need to show all those elements of "Closing the Gap" that also applied, such as levels and duration of incarceration, housing, educational attainment, general health and life expectancy.
You have got this back to front because you are wilfully ignorant.
ATSI people proposed the Voice!
People like you want to deny it to them.
ATSI people elect members to the Voice:
Parliament determines the mechanics but the purpose would be constitutionally enshrined.
You will never understand the issues that led to the Voice as you keep coming up with these nonsensical ideas.
People like you want to deny it to them.
Were you dispossessed and made to live remotely?
You are full of excuses and continue to show wilful ignorance.Who is forcing them to live remotely these days ?
You are full of excuses and continue to show wilful ignorance.
Frankly I find your contributions bordering on clueless.
Wyatt was my local member... ####ing useless. Totally invisible during the election and refused to interact with us whom he purported to represent, never once answered any of my correspondence.There has been of talk around about how devastating it is for the Liberals to have ken Wyatt quit the party.
According to the AFR, it seems that ken was going to do a Cheryl Kernot anyway.
I wonder if he will now turn around and join the Labour Party.
From AFR
View attachment 155498
Mick
There has been of talk around about how devastating it is for the Liberals to have ken Wyatt quit the party.
According to the AFR, it seems that ken was going to do a Cheryl Kernot anyway.
I wonder if he will now turn around and join the Labour Party.
From AFR
View attachment 155498
Mick
Not just his fault. If the rest of the Party disagreed, they should have told him.
Dear (insert name of head of relevant department/agency/government business enterprise),
As you know, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice has been given a constitutional right by the Australian people to make representations on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
That right is not limited to making representations about matters that have a direct or special or substantial or different effect on ATSI people. The voice has a constitutional right to make representations about any matters that may relate even indirectly to ATSI people and about matters that affect all Australians.
The voice hereby advises that we will make representations to you on the following matters, at least: (insert matters relevant to the bureaucrat/department/agency/, for example, in the letter to Treasury, APRA or the RBA this will include any change in interest rate policy, bank lending and consumer credit policy or policies concerning regulation of financial services entities.
In the letter to the Dept of the Environment, it will cover every proposal for development of any mineral, mining or hydrocarbon project, or any dam or other infrastructure. In the letter to the Department of Health it will include every proposal to build, replace or renew any health facility, every proposal for expenditure on health policy, and every alteration of health policy).
For the voice’s constitutional right to make representations to have practical effect, the voice must be given advance notice by your (department/agency/body) of any proposed decision, evaluation, assessment, expenditure, policy change, or any other matter that may relate to ATSI people.
Advance notice of decisions is essential so that the voice has the opportunity to obtain information about the matter and then make a representation if appropriate. This view is reflected in the voice design principles released by the government, which provide (among other things) that:
• The voice will be able to make representations proactively.
• The voice will have its own resources to allow it to research, develop and make representations.
• The parliament and executive government should seek representations in writing from the voice early in the development of proposed laws and policies.
Accordingly, in addition to the specific matters listed above, the voice hereby requires you to give us advance notice of any proposed decision, evaluation, assessment, expenditure, policy change, or any other matter that may relate to ATSI people.
Given that the voice’s constitutional right to make representations is not limited by reference to the size or importance of a matter relating to ATSI people, you must not censor or filter matters upon which we may wish to make a representation. While we may not wish to pursue minor or trivial matters, we wish to make that judgment, not have you make it for us.
In order to give the voice adequate time to consider such matters and formulate any representations, we require you to give us notice of all relevant matters as soon as such matter arises and, in any event, at least 90 days before the decision, evaluation, assessment, expenditure, policy change, or other matter is made.
You must provide all documents, and access to all your personnel, which the voice considers appropriate to enable it to effectively make representations … this means that any material that is before a decision maker, or during the development of a policy must be made available to the voice if the voice requests it.
We put you on notice that you must not implement any such matters unless the voice has been given the time to make proper representations and discuss them with you.
The voice is in the process of hiring qualified professionals to enable it to exercise properly our right to make representations in every area of government which affects ATSI people. In the interim we will have (insert number) voice officers dedicated to monitoring matters that arise in your (department/agency/body), and we propose at least (number) will be permanently embedded in your offices to enable the voice to work effectively.
We envisage that in the fullness of time there will be a voice agency within your (department/agency/body) so that effective oversight of your policy development, policies and decision making can be carried out by the voice on a continuous and ongoing basis.
Please note that failure to comply with the requirements contained in this letter or to give proper consideration to any representations made by the voice may render any action taken by you liable to challenge by the voice in the courts, with the real risk that any decision taken will be rendered invalid until we have been given time to exercise our constitutional right to make representations.
Where we deem necessary, we will not hesitate to prosecute the constitutional guarantee which has been afforded to us by the Australian people, including seeking injunctive relief to prevent the making of a decision which affects ATSI people, to ensure that our right to make representations has been provided in a way that is both substantive and practical.
Moreover, you will be aware that s 75(v) of the Constitution provides an irremovable right to judicial review of any unlawful decision made by an officer of the commonwealth affecting that person’s interests. Please be aware that the voice takes the view that s75(v) protects it, or any other persons affected by any final decisions made by an officer of the commonwealth relating to ATSI people.
Please be advised that if your department makes a final decision which affects ATSI people and during the process of making that decision fails to give due consideration, does not provide the voice procedural fairness, or considers the representations in an unreasonable way (in other words, if you do anything which provides the basis for a constitutional writ under s 75(v) of the Constitution) we will not hesitate to commence action in the Federal Court of Australia to invalidate that decision.
We are in the process of establishing a Voice Legal Affairs unit which will be equipped to provide legal advice to staff in your (department/agency/body) so that they may better understand their legal obligations and the broader administrative law implications of our constitutional right to make representations. We will advise you when the VLA is established and look forward to working with your (department/agency/body) so that the representations of the voice are received in a way that conforms with the Constitution.
In the meantime, we suggest that your staff undergo legal training concerning the obligations on them to take due consideration of any representations by the voice which are constitutionally mandated for consideration.
Your sincerely,
(insert name)
CEO, The Voice,
Canberra
I notice the word "could".A letter the voice could write to bureaucrats once it is implemented:
Taken out of that nasty far-Right Nazi loving Murdoch paper The Australian.
The Left and Aboriginal elites haven't been able to win over conservatives with their yes vote arguments, largely because it's race based, anti-democratic and there's no facts on how it's going to play out, so they've resorted to name calling and emotional blackmail. Now, they're blackmailing us with denying us the privilege of an Ernie Dingo Welcome Show, if we vote no.
If this isn't the best reason for a NO vote, I don't know what is.
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