Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Uluru Dialogue Leadership Group member Roy Ah See says the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is incredibly important for indigenous Australians

Transcript

Uluru Dialogue Leadership Group member Roy Ah See says the implementation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart is incredibly important for indigenous Australians · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Now we know that it's implementing the ULARU Statement from
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  Speaker 1: the heart the Labor government. The newly elected Labor government
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: says would be as higher priority for the new Labor
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: government as the apology to the Stolen Generations. That's according
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  Speaker 1: to the party's incoming Indigenous Affairs Minister.
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  Speaker 2: Now.
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  Speaker 1: Labour's Linda Bernie, who is expected to assume that portfolio
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  Speaker 1: once the full ministry is sworn in, has said that
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  Speaker 1: there was an enormous amount of work to apply the
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  Speaker 1: statement and it was critical for the country that it
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  Speaker 1: be carried out. Now joining me on the line right
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  Speaker 1: now is the member of the ULARU Dialogue Leadership Group,
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  Speaker 1: Roy RC.
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  Speaker 3: Good morning to you, Roy.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie. It's great to be on your program.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, great to have you on the show.
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  Speaker 2: Roy.
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  Speaker 3: What does the statement really aim to achieve?
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  Speaker 2: Basically, the statement five years ago, it's the anniversary of
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  Speaker 2: the statement and it was a gift to the Australian
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  Speaker 2: people and basically it's unfinished business. It articulates what our
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  Speaker 2: aspirations are from, you know, for countrymen right across the
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  Speaker 2: whole country. You know, these we had significant dialogues that
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  Speaker 2: were held in different parts of the country. And in
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  Speaker 2: each of the states, and through that process were very
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  Speaker 2: very clearly articulated that our mob didn't want symbolism, They
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  Speaker 2: wanted really, really meaningful structural reform. And they come out,
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  Speaker 2: they come back with a you know, a voice enshrined
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  Speaker 2: in the constitution that is representative of First Nations people.
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  Speaker 1: And how important is it really and what does it
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  Speaker 1: mean for Indigenous people that this happens.
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  Speaker 2: Oh, look, it's critical, Katie, It's absolutely vital. It's critical.
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  Speaker 2: You only have to look at all the social indicators.
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  Speaker 2: We've gone backwards. We've gone backwards, you know, the closing
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  Speaker 2: of the gap over representation in the criminal justice system,
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  Speaker 2: you know, our health, health diseases within our communities, the
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  Speaker 2: basic basic human rights, you know, abridge or people. We're
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  Speaker 2: just gone so far backwards. Now, what this will do,
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  Speaker 2: this voice will allow us to have a say over
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  Speaker 2: the laws and the policies that affect future generations. Then
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  Speaker 2: surely this process couldn't be any any worse than what
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  Speaker 2: it is now, because at the moment it's disimal for
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  Speaker 2: our people.
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  Speaker 1: And what do you make of the commitment from the
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  Speaker 1: new federal government. Obviously them saying that implementing the Ulary
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  Speaker 1: statement from the heart is going to be as high
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  Speaker 1: a priority for that new Labor government as the Apology
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  Speaker 1: to the Stolen Generation was.
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  Speaker 2: And Katie, that's a great question. I voted Labor because
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  Speaker 2: of that very reason, because we were going to a referendum. Now,
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  Speaker 2: a referendum basically is given the Australian people, I say,
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  Speaker 2: in whether or not we get a voice enshrined in
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  Speaker 2: the constitution that represents First Nations people. Now I voted
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  Speaker 2: Labor for that, and Labor has come out through Anthony
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  Speaker 2: albaneasi and as the Prime Minister new Prime Minister and
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  Speaker 2: said his commitment will be to implement the statement in full.
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  Speaker 2: So if we look at the sequence, we go Voice Treaty, Truth,
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  Speaker 2: end of story. Now, if you're going to put the
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  Speaker 2: voice first, well they've committed to put the voice first.
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  Speaker 2: So that's a referendum. Now what our people have to
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  Speaker 2: have to understand and not averridd and Australia we're going
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  Speaker 2: to a referendum. We're going to referendum next year. Roy.
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  Speaker 1: I suppose for some people listening, they might be thinking
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  Speaker 1: to themselves, particularly in a place like the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 1: where we have got some of the most disadvantaged Indigenous people,
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  Speaker 1: you know, in community and right around you know, the
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  Speaker 1: Northern Territory, where housing and health and other issues that
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  Speaker 1: you've touched on have such a huge part or such
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  Speaker 1: a huge impact, I think you'd say on a lot
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  Speaker 1: of those territorians. How is something like the Ularu statement
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  Speaker 1: from the heart, you know, going to help when it.
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  Speaker 3: Comes to making some change in this space.
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  Speaker 2: Look again, another great question. I know the Northern Land
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  Speaker 2: Council has come out and actually supported the statement in full.
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  Speaker 2: And we get a say over, we get to say
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  Speaker 2: over the laws and the policy decisions that affect territories
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  Speaker 2: like the Northern Territory. Now they add the Northern Territory
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  Speaker 2: Intervention under John Howard where they just went they used
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  Speaker 2: the constitutional powers to just go straight into communities and
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  Speaker 2: in there because of you know, unsubstantiated allegations of sexual abuse,
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  Speaker 2: their sexual abuses in every corner of this country, black white,
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  Speaker 2: a brindle. But they use that special powers under the
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  Speaker 2: Constitution to go in and send the army into our community,
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  Speaker 2: especially in the Northern Territory. So I think that a
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  Speaker 2: voice would would not allow that to happen, and it
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  Speaker 2: would be consulted in a respectful manner so that we
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  Speaker 2: can articulate a way forward that is going to empower
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  Speaker 2: Aboriginal people and Aboriginal communities. You know, the principles codes
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  Speaker 2: of self determination is people having a say over policies,
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  Speaker 2: laws and customs that affect the future generations. That's the
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  Speaker 2: that's the underlying principle of self determination. You tell me
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  Speaker 2: a political party, whether it's a Green voice, a Red
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  Speaker 2: voice or a blue voice, don't underpin you know, doesn't
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  Speaker 2: underpind them them principles.
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  Speaker 1: Now, Roy, we also know that today is National Sorry Day?
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  Speaker 1: How significant is today for all Australians but particularly our
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  Speaker 1: First nations?
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  Speaker 2: People look at a very significant days, you know, for
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  Speaker 2: for a lot of people, particularly our you know, our
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  Speaker 2: brothers and sisters who are no longer with us that
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  Speaker 2: missed out on you know, that reconnection with family, culture,
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  Speaker 2: song lines and community. Now that is a you know,
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  Speaker 2: it's a sad it's a sad reality that, you know,
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  Speaker 2: the scourge and the impacts of trauma, trauma from intergenerational,
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  Speaker 2: transgenerational trauma, being moved away from your your family, Katie,
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  Speaker 2: just imagine that you've been snatched from your family when
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  Speaker 2: you're five year old of the kids yourself, you know,
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  Speaker 2: and if if there was a policy in this country
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  Speaker 2: that allowed the welfare to come in and just take
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  Speaker 2: your kids away, that's traumatic and you don't heal overnight.
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  Speaker 2: This is you know, we're transgenerational trauma and healing needs
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  Speaker 2: to happen in this country. And that's what will happened
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  Speaker 2: in the second stage of agreement making, where we look
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  Speaker 2: at you know, macarata systems that can help communities heal
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  Speaker 2: and heal in a way where we start to tell
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  Speaker 2: our stories, you know, So it's voice treaty true.
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  Speaker 3: All right, we really appreciate your time this morning.
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  Speaker 2: I know that.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it is such an important day and five years
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  Speaker 1: you know since that ulary Statement from the Heart was
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  Speaker 1: first gifted to the Australian people.
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  Speaker 3: Roy, are you surprised that it's sort of taking this long.
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  Speaker 2: Look what I said, Katie during another a few other interviews,
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  Speaker 2: is that under Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party, that
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  Speaker 2: statement was a gift to Australian Australian people, but they
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  Speaker 2: turned it into a political statement and weaponized it against
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  Speaker 2: the Australian people. You know, that's not that, that's not
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  Speaker 2: principles before personalities, you know, And how dare them disrespect
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  Speaker 2: that process because there's people that are no longer with
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  Speaker 2: us now, Katie, that have that have gone passed away
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  Speaker 2: in the last five years, and they didn't get to
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  Speaker 2: realize or see the fruits of their their hard work
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  Speaker 2: and their commitment to try to get a voice in
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  Speaker 2: this country. I always said, we've got a green voice,
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  Speaker 2: we got a red voice, we've got a blue voice.
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  Speaker 2: How people want a black voice?
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  Speaker 1: Well, which I think is fair enough, I really I
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  Speaker 1: you know, I think it's it's something that's that has
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  Speaker 1: been a long process and and let's hope that we
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  Speaker 1: really do see some movement in this space.
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  Speaker 3: Roy, I appreciate your time this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Mate, great program, Thanks Kate, thank
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  Speaker 3: You, thanks for your time.