Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wants Australians to consider a draft question — released by the government this weekend — asking whether the constitution should be changed to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Key points:
Anthony Albanese has announced the question he wants to ask the Australian public at a referendum
Legislation for the Voice will not be written until after the referendum has happened
Indigenous people want the government to make the referendum and Voice discussion accessible for communities
He told ABC’s Insiders program that a referendum could be as powerful as the national apology for the Stolen Generations and the Mabo decision.
“This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our maturity as a nation, to uplift our whole nation. And I’m very hopeful that we can do so,” he said.
“I recognize that it’s a risk, but if you don’t try then you have already not succeeded.”
A Voice to Parliament, created via a referendum, was the key recommendation of hundreds of Aboriginal people at Uluṟu in 2017.
There is now a push from the Opposition and the Greens for more detail on what role and function the body would have.
When the Prime Minister came to Arnhem Land to meet with Indigenous leaders, he was continuing a tradition that has lasted for thousands of years at ancient place called Gulkula.
Key points:
Garma has been held at Gulkula every year for centuries
Thousands of people, including international delegates, attend the Garma festival
Garma is back after a COVID-19-induced hiatus
Anthony Albanese made headlines at this year’s Garma festival by meeting with Yolgnu leaders, pleading to adopt the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart in full and to hold a referendum on the proposed Voice to Parliament.
Garma is held at Gulkula every year and this weekends festival has been one of many gatherings held at the site over the centuries.
Gumatj leader Balupalu Yunupingu said Gulkula had always been a place for people from different tribes to come together and learn new perspectives.
More than 2,000 people attended Garma this year and camped at Gulkula.(ABC: Dayvis Heyne)
“This place is special to us because Ganbulapula, the spirit man, created this place and named the place Gulkula,” he said.
“It’s a place of teaching.”
Gulkula is surrounded by stringy trees and Yolgnu ancestor Ganbulapula is said to have shooed the bees away from the site to find honey.
Modernizing Yolgnu traditions
It’s an area of learning for the Yolgnu people, and it was the site of the first Garma in 1999.
Balupalu’s brother, Djawa Yunupingu, said it was “just like a bush camp.”
“We looked at Garma and said, ‘Why don’t we do a festival out here?'”
He says Garma is a continuation of the Yolgnu traditions, “but in a modern way”.
Now thousands of people from around the country, including international delegates, attend the Garma festival, which is considered a key event on the political calendar.
Djawa (left) and Balupalu Yunupingu hope Garma will continue to grow. (ABC: Dayvis Heyne)
“In the olden days, going back 50,000 years ago, people had Garma to bring the tribes together, whether it was a morning ceremony or some kind of ritual or sorry business,” he said
“Whatever issues we want to bring up we talk about them.”
Garma is back for the first time since 2019, after a COVID-19-enforced hiatus, and the Yunupingus say there’s been plenty of excitement leading up to this year’s festival.
“This Garma is different. We are being friendly. Everyone’s shaking hands,” Balupalu Yunupingu said.
“It’s great you know.”
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Breaking down the PM’s Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposal.
It is hoped Garma will continue to grow every year.
“I’d like to see more people out here, maybe an extension of the days we have here,” Djawa Yunupingu said.
“The land were on now is Gumatj country. It’s always been Gumatj country since time began.”
