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The Headlines: It’s Happening — Parliament to Debate First Nation Voice Specifics

Discussion Time: A First Nation Voice to Parliament

A parliamentary debate surrounding the specifics of what a First Nation Voice to Parliament looks like will kick off in the coming months. This has been confirmed by Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus.

To create a First Nation Voice to Parliament — or any changes to our constitution — any alterations must first be approved by both houses of parliament. These potential changes are then presented to the general public, typically in the form of a simple question, and are then voted on. 

At the moment, the potential Voice question is: “Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voice?”

However, this question is still subject to change.

As Dreyfus said, “There’ll be ample time to debate the form of the question. And what the sentences, what the changes to be included in the Constitution actually are.”

When speaking with The Latch on the subject, Professor Megan Davis, Cobble Cobble woman and Co-Chair of Uluṟu Dialogue, said, “We want to reinforce that the Voice will not be a third chamber of parliament. We have addressed this many times since the Turnbull Government first made the claim back in 2017.” 

“The Voice will advise our government of the day on matters concerning the lives of First Nations Peoples. It will not have any hidden powers or veto abilities.”

The Aussie Nepal Plane Crash Victim Has Been Named

A Sydneysider named Myron William Love has been confirmed as the Aussie who flew aboard the twin-engine ATR 72 which crashed on Sunday. The flight was a Yeti Airlines plane that was travelling from Kathmandu to Pokhara.

Yeti Airlines has stated that there have been no survivors. However, other sources are yet to confirm that this is the case.

A friend of Love said, in a now-deleted Insta post, “It is with extreme sadness to say we have lost one of the best humans I have ever known.”

“Myron was one of the loves of my life, a truly kind, fun, energetic man. We will forever love you, my man.”

Related: Nepal Plane Crash Details

Related: 2023 Gold Coast Helicopter Crash Victim Wakes Up From Coma

The European Union Wants Greener Aussie Exports

Last year, the European Union established some impressive land-clearing protections. Moreover, because Australia’s protections aren’t up to scratch, these new rules could be used to block our beef products and grains from being sold in the Union’s premium market.

“Australian agriculture’s ability to continue exporting to the world is really tied to our performance on sustainability,” said our Trade Minister, Don Farrell.

Farrell is currently negotiating with the European Union to ensure that free trade can continue. He believes that our government’s environmental regulations and the agriculture industry’s sustainability plan should persuade the Union to allow premium market transactions to continue. 

Watt also said, “If you speak to farmers and farm groups, they get that their ability to maintain these markets depends on continuing to improve sustainability.”

“I want people to have a true picture of the really important work that Australian producers are doing to continue improving their sustainability because it’s obviously important from an environmental perspective, but it’s vital for our trade as well.”

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