I am aware of most of that. There are many questions though.
This paper glosses over what the Referendum Council achieved.
The council members:
https://www.referendumcouncil.org.au/sites/default/files/report_attachments/Appendix A - Referendum Council Membership.pdf
Held a consultation process in the form of a series of First Nations Regional Dialogues over a 6 month period in the following centres:
9-11 December 2016 - Hobart
10-12 February 2017 - Broome
17-19 February 2017 - Dubbo
22-24 February 2017 - Darwin
3-5 March 2017 - Perth
10-12 March 2017 - Sydney
17-19 March 2017 - Melbourne
24-26 March 2017 - Cairns
31 March - 2 April 2017 - Ross River
7-9 April 2017 - Adelaide
21-23 April 2017 - Brisbane
5-7 May 2017 - Torres Straight
10-12 May 2017 - Canberra
These meetings culminated with the National Convention at Uluru 23-26 May 2017. From these dialogues, the Uluru Statement from the Heart was constructed. After going to all this trouble, do people really believe that this highly credentialed and educated group of people, after consulting delegates from such a massive array of backgrounds and experiences, entering into dialogues and taking advice in dozens of different languages with elders and land councils all over this contry, only managed to come up with a 1 page document? Professor Megan Davis is on record stating it is 18 pages long and goes into detail for how Treaty will be brought about, how reparations will be sought and even how those reparations will be funded. Why are we being fed this line that it is only 1 page long?
We now have 2 Policy and Stakeholder Consultation Advisory Bodies - including a lot of the members which did not serve on the Referendum Council. These bodies are called the The Referendum Working Group and the Referendum Engagement Group and the members were all appointed by Linda Burney.
The Referendum Working Group consists of 21 paid members who "will provide advice to Government on successfully implementing a referendum within this term of Parliament on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice enshrined in the Australian Constitution including timing to conduct a successful referendum, refining the proposed constitutional amendment and question, and the information on the Voice necessary for a successful referendum."
The Referendum Engagement Group consists of 61 paid members which "includes the Referendum Working Group members as well as additional people from across the country including representatives from land councils, local governments and community-controlled organisations. They will provide advice about building community understanding, awareness and support for the referendum."
All these people - these passionate, experienced, educated, dedicated people...all supported by the public purse...for nearly a full year now...cannot come up with a coherant blue print for how certain aspects of the Voice will be conducted. Why are they pushing so hard to get it through this year when they are clearly not ready?
The Voice will give independant advice to the Parliament and the Government
These representations will go through a research and development phase and will be made proactively by this body, in response to requests by the Parliament and Executive Government as they move forward on the development of proposed laws and policies.
How long will they be given to make their representations?
There are 250 mobs and over a thousand clans in this country the consultation process will surely delay the work of Governments?
How many workers are required in this body to thoroughly research and present proactive representations?
Will they be using contractors? If so, what is the process for awarding contracts?
How much will this all cost?
The Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people based upon wishes of local communitities
Members of the Voice will not be appointed by the Executive Government, but by Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Communities, abiding by the wishes of local communities and would be determined through the post-referendum process.
How many representative areas are there?
Is there a cap on Voice membership?
Will there be Indigenous elections for these positions?
Membership is for a fixed period of time. What is it?
Can members be removed ahead of this fixed period?
What happens when a member dies?
Why are these details to be determined post referendum?
The Voice will be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander communities, gender balanced and include youth
Members will conform to the 3 part test for authenticity and will be chosen from the States, Territories and Torres Straight Isands - remote and mainland. Membership will be gender balanced at national level.
I assume the 3 part test refers to the Proof of Aboriginality as detailed in the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres StraightIslander Studies (AIATSIS). This details:
- being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
- identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
- being accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.
Is this process working currently?
There seems to be a rise in fraudulant claims of Aboriginality already...do they expect this to get worse?
Most Aboriginal societies operate under a matriarchy. Why is there a need to balance gender representation when it has operated this way for 60 millenia?
Will this result in lesser value candidates for membership?
The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory do not count as states for the Majority of States count in the referendum. Will this lead to lesser representation for Voice membership?
Same outcome for the Torres Straight Islanders?
How many remote Torres Straight Islanders will be eligible?
What is the breakdown in Voice membership pertaining to location? cities v rural v remote?
I have many more questions, but you get the idea...
