23 hours Ago By Carly Williams
Uluru Dialogue leader Professor Megan Davis has dismissed the federal government's "economic empowerment agenda" in Indigenous affairs as a Howard-era strategy that hasn't "turned a dime at all in relation to Closing the Gap". "For now, Albanese has dumped Voice, Treaty and Truth," Professor Davis told a public forum on Wednesday. "He (Prime Minister Anthony Albanese) has said resolutely he's moved away from anything in relation to Indigenous rights and he's pursuing, or continuing, the John Howard 20-year process of 'economic development'.
" Speaking on a panel examining what the No vote at the Voice referendum meant, the Cobble Cobble woman of the Barunggam Nation said, "what we're seeing now with the current government is just the detrimental impact of no Voice." "When the prime minister talks about pursuing economic development or empowerment, he's talking about the status quo ..
. "That is, the pursuit of businesses, Indigenous procurement, wealth creation, job creation, and all those kinds of things which we all support," she said. Professor Megan Davis is one of the key architects of The Voice to Parliament.
But Professor Davis said it was "deeply concerning" for Aboriginal people that these policies have not closed the gap for those most in need. "There's some really good literature around about elite capture and the way in which public resources are galvanised for the benefit of a few individuals in relation to wealth creation," she said. "[They include] those who have access to Parliament House, the two political parties, those who have a superior social status apropos the grassroots communities, for which the Closing the Gap statistics speak to.
" Uluru Dialogue leaders and academics say the ‘no’ vote for the Voice should not be interpreted as a no vote for other key Indigenous policies. Earlier this year, the federal government announced a new Closing the Gap plan "focused on creating jobs and economic empowerment", including an $842.6 million investment in the Northern Territory.
This year it has increased the target of government contracts going to Indigenous-owned businesses from 2.5 to 3 per cent and granted government agency Indigenous Business Australia [IBA] the ability to borrow and raise funds for investment opportunities. The federal government’s “economic empowerment agenda” in Indigenous affairs has been dismissed as a John Howard-era strategy.
Professor Davis said she would be monitoring to see whether "this next agenda of wealth creation is just going to create a lot of haves and have nots." "Indigenous procurement policy (has been) in place for 20 years, the IBA in place for 30 years, the Indigenous Land and Sea Council in place for the same amount of time ..
. "Tell me how that agenda of economic empowerment and economic development has actually closed the gap? "It hasn't, and that's the important conversation for Australians to have." The Uluru Statement, revealed at a 2017 gathering at Uluru after 12 regional dialogue meetings, called for three reforms: Voice, Treaty, Truth.
In 2022, Mr Albanese said in his that he was committed to implementing the Uluru Statement in full, but earlier this year told the the government will go in "another direction." "On the Uluru Statement from the Heart, we had a crack," he said. "It wasn't successful, that for me was unfortunate.
"What we're concentrating on now is economic empowerment." He said this included replacing the CDP scheme with "real training with real jobs" and investing in education, health and remote housing. "We do need another direction, the Australian people had their say, in a democracy you have to respect that, and I certainly do.
" Unpacking the ‘no’ vote But Uluru Dialogue leaders and academics said the 'no' vote for the Voice should not be interpreted as a no vote for other key Indigenous policies like Treaty and Truth. "It is inexplicable in many ways to think that a vote no does apply across the board to multiple initiatives and mechanisms with respect to Indigenous peoples," Professor Davis told the panel. "And we say that because that's not how our constitution functions.
" Senator Malarndirri McCarthy told the ABC the government remained committed to the principles of the Uluru Statement. In response to the concerns raised on Wednesday's panel, Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said the government had kept its promise to hold a referendum and remained committed to the principles of the Uluru Statement. "We took it to the Australian people and we lost.
We accept the outcome of the referendum," she told the ABC's Indigenous Affairs Team in a statement. "A Senate inquiry is underway into a Truth and Justice Bill, this is an opportunity for Australians to let the federal Parliament know their views. We will await the outcome of the Senate inquiry.
" Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price told the ABC in a statement that "Labor has had nothing to say or do to provide leadership or focus on the serious issues in many Indigenous communities across regional and remote Australia" since the referendum. She said if elected, the Coalition would "conduct an audit of all government programs and expenditure in Indigenous affairs" and re-prioritise unnecessary funding "towards frontline solutions. She reiterated the Coalition's intention to hold an inquiry into land councils and "establish a royal commission into sexual abuse in Indigenous communities".
If the Coalition wins this year's election, Senator Price will become Minister for Indigenous Australians. Professor Davis concluded Wednesday's panel by stating that First Nations people were still excluded from Australia's founding document. "One of the things that's really missing in Australia is the fact that constitutions matter.
"People flourish as a consequence of constitutions, and Australians have flourished as a consequence of their constitution. "The only group who haven't is First Nations people, and the Australian people doubled down on that in 2023. "We're still excluded from that constitutional system.
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