The First Peoples’ Assembly must go to an election by November 2023 at the latest but could potentially return to the polls early to elect a second assembly that would have the mandate to get negotiations on a statewide treaty under way.
Stewart and his assembly co-chair,Aunty Geraldine Atkinson,signed the agreement on Thursday with acting Minister for Treaty and First Peoples Colin Brooks,stepping in for Premier Daniel Andrews,who has been called away to the flood crisis.
In a statement,Brooks said:“The success of treaty and truth processes demonstrate what can be achieved under the leadership of First Peoples.”
Atkinson,a Bangerang and Wiradjuri elder,said the agreement on the framework and the fund provided a clear pathway forward for all Victorian traditional owners.
“We all want to get on with creating a better future together as equals,but to do that,we need to eliminate the unfair burden that Aboriginal people have been carrying since invasion,” she said.
“The framework recognises our cultural authority. It will see the government take a back seat as we get to do things our way.”
The latest components buttress the three pieces of treaty “architecture” already in place:the Treaty Authority,the Yoorrook Justice Commission and the Peoples’ Assembly.
The 32-member assembly is the representative body of traditional owners and First Peoples in Victoria. It was established in 2019 and was the first body of its kind in Australia.
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In 2020,it called on the state to establish a truth-telling commission to inform and progress the treaty process,which led to the establishment last year of the Yoorrook Justice Commission – Australia’s first truth and justice inquest.
Through its inquiry,an official record of the impact of colonisation in Victoria will be delivered in 2024. The commission will also make recommendations for institutional reforms and actions to address past and ongoing injustices experienced by First Peoples.
The Treaty Authority became the third vital component in the architecture after it was legislated in August. It is the umpire that will oversee all future treaty negotiations. The assembly has described the new body as existing “outside the usual government bureaucracy” and being grounded in culture,lore and law. Its membership will be appointed and announced in coming weeks.
Both the Treaty Authority and the Self-Determination Fund would be functioning within the first quarter of 2023,a spokesperson for the assembly said on Thursday.
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The fund will initially receive $65 million to cover its first three years,with funding after that to be negotiated between the state and the assembly. It will be administered by an appointed board of trustees,which is expected to be announced before Christmas.
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