Wednesday, 19 November 2025

 Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (09:55): Last week our state made history, and for First Peoples it was a moment generations have been working towards: at Government House, the Statewide Treaty was formally signed and given royal assent. For my community, for the elders and advocates who have carried this work long before any of us stepped into this chamber, it was a moment of truth, strength and deep cultural pride. With treaty now in law, we see formal recognition that truth, respect and understanding must sit at the heart of our shared future and the decisions that affect us. It is a step that supports healing and creates space for culture to grow stronger in the years ahead. It reassures our community that the next chapters of our journey forward will be shaped with us, not for us. Treaty will officially commence on 12 December with a public celebration at Federation Square, a moment for every Victorian to share in 60,000 years of culture. It will be a moment of joy, of connection and of looking forward. It is justice in action. It stands because First Peoples – our elders, our leaders, our young people – never stopped fighting for it, and I honour each and every one of them.