A Referendum Council-hosted national convention at Uluru will decide if, and how, to recognise Indigenous Australians in the federal constitution.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The convention is the culmination of 12 first nations regional dialogues held since December 2016 around Australia.
The dialogues provided an opportunity for invited participants to discuss the main options for recognition, understand what they mean, combine or modify existing options and rank options in order of priority.
Meetings were capped at 100 participants with 60% of places reserved for First Nations/traditional owner groups, 20% for community organisations and 20% for key individuals.
The priorities from each of the First Nations dialogues are this week being reported to a four-day First Nations convention which concludes on Friday May 26. The views and opinions heard will be part of a report for the prime minister and leader of the opposition.
Birpai land council CEO David Carroll attended the Sydney dialogue in March.
He described the event as ‘a mixed bag’.
“Prior to leaving, there was concern that this was going to be a talkfest and there was concern that there would not be a united opinion,” he said.
“There was a large group (in attendance) that held a very strong, set view that the way forward was by pushing ahead with a view that a treaty would be the best outcome,” he said.
“They tried to push that through the dialogue as a whole. In the end, I don’t think it was adopted.
We should recognise the past – and certainly things could have been done better – but we are one country, one community and we need to all move forward with that in mind
- Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO David Carroll
“Certainly most of the representatives elected to attend the national convention were from the conciliatory point of view. And that was the best option.
“My overall view is that we should be doing things that are best, not just for Aboriginal people but in the best interests of the country as whole.”
Mr Carroll acknowledged there had been ‘some terrible things done in the past’. However, he said, we need to be focused on being a united country.
“We should recognise the past – and certainly things could have been done better – but we are one country, one community and we need to all move forward with that in mind,” he added.
Mr Carroll said that ‘was certainly how the Birpai Land Council operates’. “We are very much part of the community and we do what is best,” he said.
The land council CEO said he hoped the national convention would present a consensus view to the federal government in its final drafts on Friday.
“Overwhelmingly, people just want positive change to their day to day lives,” he said.
The Birpai Land Council will next week celebrate National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week with a morning tea.
“Our focus will be to get people together and keep people talking together,” he added.
