One very important thing Anthony Albanese failed to tell us. - The Voice Plus already exists. It was done without any need to change the Constitution.
On the 22nd of July 2023 the federal government’s Productivity Commission published a report, required by federal policy, on progress with a 2020 National Agreement between ALL Australian governments and the indigenous community.
In the words of the Agreement itself, 'it is a milestone document'.
For the first time the indigenous community has been elevated to an equal partnership with governments and their responsibility for
"...overcoming the entrenched inequality faced by too many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people so that their life outcomes are equal to all Australians "
The Agreement is an administrative function, undertaken through COAG and as such is not subjected to any direct Parliamentary overcite, by any Parliament.
The Agreement operates under the authority of the delegated Federal Minister, with the power to make decisions in relation to that portfolio. Similar to the authority and power of the Minister for Immigration.
In 2008 COAG moved, for the first time ever, to change the rules in some areas for funding between the Commonwealth government and the States by agreeing that in the 6 areas, determined by COAG, all government would work towards improving their performance and make funding dependent on meeting performance criteria, in those six areas.
One of those areas was the welfare of Indigenous Australians
All Australian governments signed up to this 2008 Agreement, colloquially named ‘Closing the Gap’
The prime objective of that agreement was to deliver ‘self-determination’ to indigenous Australians
The very first thing that becomes apparent is that nowhere in the Agreement, is there a definition of what would constitute 'self-determination'.
The general definition of this term makes it a synonym for ‘sovereignty’.
While on the road to sovereignty the Agreement signalled it’s intention to deliver on the concept termed - Closing The Gap.
Closing The Gap is a concept where,
By every measure of life experience, there will be NO discernible difference between Australians who are self-certify indigenous Australians and those who are not.
It was also mandatory in the funding agreement that progress be monitored (at that stage by administrative branch of COAG) and that annual reports on progress be provided.
In 2019 a significant initiative was introduced by COAG in the way of production of a written Partnership Agreement between all Australian government and Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) who will be represented by their community controlled peak organisations named the Coalition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peak Organisations
The Partnership Agreement with the indigenous community was the first time ever in the governance of Australian involved a partnership with a community
The Partnership Agreement was:
"...a fundamentally new way of developing and implementing policies and programs that impact on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
The Partnership Agreement can be condensed to:
Provide authority for:-
In order to:
Then, in 2020 a new National Funding Agreement (Closing the Gap ) was signed, involving the Parties of the COAG 2019 Partnership Agreement.
The Objective in the 2020 Agreement states:-
The 2020 Agreement contains 146 Clauses.
According to the 2020 Agreement there are 2 forms of partnerships
The now one million self certified indigenous community are being represented in the 2020 Agreement through a ‘network’ of community controlled peak organisations set up through a body referred to as Coalition of Peaks
On the Coalition of Peaks website, it proudly acknowledges
Unfortunate though, its website doesn't indicate exactly, how many of the current 1 million self-certified indigenous Australians are represented in this network.
As a consequence of the 2020 Agreement
These three documents (2008; 2019; 2020) provide indigenous Australians with not just a consultative Voice to Power (as proposed under the upcoming referendum) but EQUAL power in all matters to do with ALL such programs
"...that directly impact on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people."
This new indigenous power is exercised through the portal of the newly created entity called the "Coalition of the Peaks"
The 2023 Productivity Commission report identified Implementation Plans, that have been entered into since 2020 in which governments throughout Australia have allready commitments to meet the requirements, WHICH THE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY has already, by consencus, agreed to.
Next to this situation ‘The Voice referendum’ looks like a lame duck - or is it?