Prime Minister Anothony Albanese is passing the buck on a treaty process to the state and territory governments that will take the entire nation backward.
The problem with that is that the two states with the most progress on treaty Queensland and Victoria have opposition governments that don’t support treaties, and with a Queensland election later this year the state's treaty process is at risk.
The Productivity Commission's report on the National Agreement towards Closing the Gap found measures have largely failed to produce positive outcomes for First Nations people.
We cannot back away from a national treaty and leave this up to the states. The Government needs to step up to their promises and negotiate a national Treaty now!
GetUp CEO, Larissa Baldwin-Roberts said:
“After another year of failed outcomes in the Closing the Gap report, what is clear is that it’s time to do something new and the Albanese Government needs to articulate their plan for a federal treaty process.
“First Nations affairs have been weaponised in our politics, Labor committed to a truth-telling and treaty process and we will hold the government accountable to their election promise for Treaty and truth-telling.
“We know 6 million people voted for First Nations justice, for change in the referendum through a yes vote, we won’t walk away from a treaty - something our communities have been fighting for, for decades.”
ENDS
Media contact: Amy Morgan, media@getup.org.au, +61 2 8188 2870