Tag: Peter Dutton

In news that surprises no one…

The Liberal Party has announced its formal opposition to the federal government’s model for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, after a party room meeting in Canberra.
Australians will vote later this year on whether an independent advisory body for First Nations people should be enshrined in the constitution.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said while the Opposition supported recognition of First Nations people in the constitution, it does not support a constitutionally enshrined consultative body.
“The Liberal Party resolved today to say yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians,” he said.

Weird how the Liberal Party was in power for nine years and never made any moves that I can remember to actually make that a thing during that time, which I think would’ve been an actually popular move on their part… or is this something they’ve only come up with in the last few days so they don’t look like complete racists? Either way, the party might be OK with the Constitution acknowledging that, yeah, those darkies actually were here before white people after all, but heaven forfend they ever be given the opportunity to determine their future or advise the government on matters that affect them…

As far as the whole Voice thing goes, I will confess to being in two minds about it, insofar as I see no real reason to oppose it in theory (whether or not it needs constitutional enshrinement is something I have no idea about, although, again, I’m not necessarily opposed to it) but I do question how it’ll actually operate in practice… this being the text of the proposed amendment:

Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
1. There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
2. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
3. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.

I read that as saying that Parliament will, essentially, define exactly what the Voice even is and what it’ll be able to do, and I have a feeling somehow that might wind up being not much… and I’ve no doubt Parliament will make sure they’ll be under no obligation to actually do anything the Voice might suggest they do if their advice goes against whatever the government was intending to do anyway. I don’t really trust either Labor or Liberal (and especially not the latter) to not fuck it up one way or another. But there’s still no guarantee the referendum will succeed anyway, although the Voice advocates have at least apparently learned from the Republic debacle of ’99; the latter made the somewhat crucial mistake of asking “do you want this particular version of a republic” rather than “do you want a republic at all”… at least the Voice’s advocates are starting from the question “do you think the Voice is a good idea”, so that might actually carry it to success. I suppose we’ll find out some time later in the year…