A minimalist, community-led plan to “tell the truth” about Indigenous dispossession is envisioned by the Albanese Government to fill the void on reconciliation after its crushing Voice referendum loss. Source: The Age.
Truth-telling is one of the three key elements of reform proposed by the Uluru Statement from the Heart – the influential Indigenous-authored document that spawned the Voice proposal.
According to Government sources speaking anonymously to detail private thinking, Labor views a program to educate Australians about Indigenous history as less politically contentious than a treaty, the statement’s third component.
As retiring Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney declared, history would look kindly upon the Voice effort and Liberal MP Julian Leeser lamented the “national silence” that has existed since its defeat, Labor favours a truth-telling model led by local Indigenous groups unearthing local histories to eventually form a national story of Aboriginal Australia.
This approach would contrast with truth-telling models such as that in Victoria, where the state Labor government has shunned a number of the sometimes contentious policy recommendations by the royal commission-style inquiry it established.
Ms Burney, in a press conference yesterday announcing her resignation after two years as minister, said: “For me, the issue of truth-telling is not about a judicial process.
“It’s about bringing people together and bringing people with you.”
The 67-year-old fought back tears and said history would look kindly upon Labor’s attempt to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution.
And in a major speech about the future of reconciliation after the Voice, Liberal MP Leeser said the lack of action since the Voice defeat was a source of shame for Australia. His speech did not mention the key role played by the Coalition in sinking the Voice.
FULL STORY
Truth-telling set to fill Voice gap as Leeser urges PM to step up (By Paul Sakkal and James Massola, The Age)
