Mountain Ash Chapter supports the inclusion of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Australia’s federal parliament, and the amendment to the Constitution which would make this possible.
Well, why wouldn’t we? We love a wild diversity of voices and stories, so of course we’re in favour of a First Nations voice to speak to and inform parliament. Most Australians are as well.
The idea is not without opposition. Critics say it could be “unhelpful”, and may not result in real change for Indigenous communities.
Maybe it won’t. We don’t have a crystal ball. But “unhelpful” is an odd reason to deny something from parliament.
There are many unhelpful things in the Australian Parliament. Climate policies that have targets thirty years from now. The snarky autobiographies of ex-prime ministers in the gift shop. The naps that senators try to sneak in the chamber. None of these things are helpful in the least, so to oppose the Voice for the possibility of being as unhelpful as these things isn’t very logical.
Because “unhelpful” isn’t really the problem. It’s just another way of shutting down voices we don’t like which say things we don’t want to hear.
“This isn’t relevant.”
“This isn’t the place for it.”
“We don’t want to be divisive.”
“This doesn’t really add anything of value.”
“This topic would be better elsewhere.”
These are all ways in which diverse voices are silenced. And we’re not about silence.
Mountain Ash Chapter supports an Indigenous Voice to parliament. Because we support all voices, diversities, minorities, different points of view, writing that make us think, experiences that make us uncomfortable, and the stories that challenge and change us.
Learn more about the Voice here; https://voice.niaa.gov.au/#
Read the beautiful Uluru Statement from the Heart; https://ulurustatement.org/
If you love op-eds from Mountain Ash Chapter, try Kylie Eklund’s Democracy? Hypocrisy! https://mountainashchapter.com.au/?p=1645