Australia and a First Nations Voice to Parliament
In recent weeks, there has been some pushback against Australia getting a First Nation Voice to Parliament. Some of these detractors are acting in bad faith. They’re claiming that the Voice will have undefined powers, when in reality, it will be a group of First Nations peoples that advise the government on First Nations issues.
On the other hand, some other folks have legitimate concerns about the Voice. They’re worried that if the Voice passes, then the Australian Government will never sign a treaty with the Country’s First Nations peoples. A treaty would be a formal document that would allow First Nations peoples to run their own affairs without bureaucratic interference.
Yet, despite these detractors, the Uluṟu Dialogue is confident that the people of Australia want a First Nations Voice to Parliament. This group is a key supporter of the Voice. They’ve also asserted that they have data that says that 80% of Australians want a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
“There are a whole lot of people out there who are just sitting at home listening and making up their own mind – Aboriginal people in particular,” said Uluru Dialogue’s Co-Chair, Pat Anderson.”
“We’re not going to chuck the towel in now because we’ve got people on Invasion Day speaking loudly – that’s fine, it’s a democracy. Hopefully, they will be convinced over the next little while, but there’s a rusted-on group in Australia – about 10%, it goes up and down – and it doesn’t matter what you say, they’re not going to change their opinion, they’re always going to say the same.”
It’s also worth noting that the Uluṟu Dialogue is in favour of First Nations peoples receiving a treaty. They just believe that this should happen after a First Nations Voice to Parliament is established.
Thousands March in Solidarity and Grief on Invasion Day
On January 26, thousands of people rallied across the streets of many cities and towns. These folks were not celebrating Australia Day. They were instead protesting the fact that the land they were standing on was unjustly stolen from groups and communities of First Nations peoples.
Here are some facts about these protests:
- Around 1500 people protested in Perth’s Forrest Place.
- Around 2000 people protested in the city of Adelaide.
- Around 10,000 people protested in Brisbane’s Queens Garden.
- Between 7000 and 10,000 people protested in Sydney’s Belmore Park.
- Between 12,000 and 15,000 people protested in Melbourne’s CBD.
One of the attendees at the Melbourne rally was Aunty Shirley Blackwood. This woman is a member of the Stolen Generations. She also believes that Australia Day shouldn’t be celebrated on January 26, the day the British Crown invaded her home.
“It’s very important to us as we want to change the date and things. We want to change the date and move on,” said Blackwood.
“We haven’t had one for a while, so it’s good of us all to get together again.”
Related: Will a First Nations Voice to Parliament Work?
Related: The Surprising Number of Companies Working on January 26
An Asteroid’s Coming Super Close to Earth Today
Meanwhile, in outer space, an asteroid is going to swoop past Earth. At 11:27 am AEDT, one of these suckers will shoot over the southern tip of South America. This asteroid will be flying 3,600 kilometres above the surface of the Earth.
“This is one of the closest approaches by a known near-Earth object ever recorded,” said a Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer, Davide Farnocchia.
But don’t fret, this asteroid will be a visitor, not a permanent resident. Fortunately, no major news sites will be discussing a mass-extinction bonza.
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