Book Review: On the Voice to Parliament

Time spent in the Australian state of Victoria confronts the visitor with struggles that are energising the politics of our neighbour. The cost of living, housing shortage and Green issues are familiar to us. In the forefront at the moment is the Federal Government’s plan to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders a Voice to Parliament. This involves a change to the Constitution and the required referendum is scheduled for 14th October.

Charles Prouse, an Indigenous business leader, has written this small book which is filled with big ideas. Drawing on his own experience, he is a strong advocate for Aboriginal people to have a direct voice to parliament. The book introduces the history of colonisation, the plight of Aboriginal peoples, attempts to address issues in the recent past, and illuminating interviews with his mother and a friend.

The proposed Voice to Parliament has its origins in a consultation held in May 2017 in which more than 250 leaders of First Nations peoples met to chart a way forward. The leaders were concerned to address what they called “the torment of our powerlessness”. The resulting ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ noted that Aboriginal Australians were counted in the census for the first time in 1967, and went on to say that now they seek to be heard. The statement indicated three steps, first a Voice to Parliament, second a Treaty, and third Truth-telling.

The Voice to Parliament is a modest step. It builds on Kevin Rudd’s 2008 apology for the Stolen Generations. But if endorsed by a majority of states it will change the way Australians relate to indigenous peoples who trace their presence on the continent beyond 60,000 years. While the details of the model will be left to parliament to decide, it is envisaged that an elected advisory group representing dispersed communities would provide advice to ministers and departments. Progress toward justice has been slow. Support for the proposal cannot be taken for granted.

Charles Prouse calls for open and respectful dialogue. He encourages opponents to express their views, hesitations and feelings. He is a generous listener who wants to allay fear. At the same time he insists that the Voice offers a pathway toward recognition and reconciliation. He argues that what is good for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is good for all Australians. “There’s so much information about the Voice to Parliament, it can want to make you bury your head in the sand like an ostrich, But we’re not ostriches - in Australia, we are emus, and emus are nosey creatures.”