Thursday, 31 October 2024

 Ellen SANDELL (Melbourne) (10:10): Victoria is about to embark on historic treaty negotiations. This is a monumental and long-overdue step towards justice and recognition for Victoria’s First Nations peoples. The Greens stand in awe of all of those First Nations people who have fought for decades and who continue to fight for their true history to be told and for their right to justice, freedom and self-determination. In particular I would like to thank the Yoorrook Justice Commission, who have been doing incredibly powerful work hearing from people about the true history of Victoria and telling that history; and the First Peoples’ Assembly, the democratically elected voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Victoria, who are about to embark on the treaty process with the help of the Treaty Authority, Victoria’s independent umpire, which will help navigate these upcoming negotiations.

We know this process may not be an easy one. This week in the Victorian Parliament, Liberal and One Nation MPs joined together to host their first Parliamentary Friends for Constitutional Monarchy meeting, with royal-themed refreshments. Needless to say, I did not attend. There are people who continue to deny the true history of colonisation in this country, but I know that there are so many more people out there that want a better future for us walking together, and that is what treaty is all about. We are being invited in – invited in to share in and be proud of the incredible culture and history of our country, to be a part of it, to listen, to learn and to embrace it.