ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

The members of the Shoalhaven Alliance for Yes23 group reside in the lands of the Jerrinja, Wandi Wandandian, Wodi Wodi and Yuin First Nations peoples; speakers of the Dharawal and Dhurga languages.

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of these lands. We honour and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging; and to their Ancestors who have walked this country since the creation of time. We recognise their continuing connection -both physical and spiritual- to the land, sea, culture and community.

Voice to Parliament Design Principles

May 10, 2023Raul Arregui

The principles of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, in summary, are:

The Voice will give independent advice to the Parliament and Government
The Voice will be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities
The Voice will be representative of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, gender balanced and include youth
The Voice will be empowering, community-led, inclusive, respectful and culturally informed
The Voice will be accountable and transparent
The Voice will work alongside existing organisations and traditional structures
The Voice will not have a program delivery function
The Voice will not have a veto power.

These principles were developed by the First Nations Referendum Working Group and endorsed by the Australian Government.

If the proposed law is approved at the referendum, there will be a process with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, the Parliament, and the broader public to settle the Voice design. Legislation to establish the Voice will then go through standard parliamentary processes to ensure adequate scrutiny by elected representatives in both houses of Parliament.