Greens MP and Gunai woman Lidia Thorpe is encouraging Gippslanders to form their own grassroots discussion groups to talk about what a treaty with Aboriginal people should look like.
Victoria passed the nation’s first legislation to create a framework to start negotiating a treaty with Aboriginal people when a Bill passed the Upper House on Thursday night.
The Bill was supported locally by Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing and in the lower house two weeks ago by Member for Morwell Russell Northe.
Nationals Member for Eastern Victoria Melina Bath did not support the Bill in line with the Coalition position that a treaty should come from a national level.
Ms Thorpe whose mother’s family is from Yallourn, said it was essential both Indigenous and non-Indigenous grassroots community members had a voice.
She called for a series of ongoing community discussions which could be organised with local governments in order to get different perspectives.
“I think the government has done the right thing for the conversation to happen. Gippslanders need to organise their clans to have a say,” the Member for Northcote said.
“Grassroots communities need to own this, they need to get involved to and know the importance of sovereignty,” she said.
The Greens had pushed for several amendments to the Bill, some of which called for Aboriginal sovereignty and replacing an Aboriginal working group with an elder’s council to work with the treaty commissioner.
The Victorian Treaty Advancement Commissioner Jill Gallagher will work with Traditional Owners, elders and young people to establish a democratically-elected Aboriginal representative body.
“We wanted the definition of treaty strengthened, as the definition of treaty is about two sovereign groups. Treaty is a peace-making mechanism. I’d like to see this for the people of Gippsland,” she said.
“I don’t want this to be a bureaucratic process with a top-down approach.”
Ms Thorpe said she believed the Coalition had a valid point about a national treaty, but said the federal government could look at the state model and local discussions could continue in the meantime.
Aboriginal Affairs Minister Natalie Hutchins hailed the legislation as a historic moment in the history of the state and the country.
“Treaty will have benefits for all Victorians – promoting reconciliation, fostering shared pride in Aboriginal culture and helping to heal the wounds of the past,” Ms Hutchins said.
