Indigenous communities ask what's next for treaty and truth-telling a year after the Voice referendum

As Australia enters an election year, Indigenous activists and communities are questioning the progress made on treaty and truth-telling processes. Following the failure of the 2023 "Voice to Parliament" referendum, the federal government has largely remained silent, but some state governments have begun to advance truth-telling efforts independently in 2024. Meanwhile, some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are also actively seeking solutions.

Pat Turner, CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and convenor of the Coalition of Peaks, stated that the organization has been left in the dark. She emphasized, "It is deeply regrettable that the referendum to establish a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament failed, and the Coalition of Peaks is not a substitute. Especially given the government has had no follow-up other than to promise to continue working with us." Over a year has passed, and many Indigenous people still feel rejected, feeling like they are regressing in the fight for Indigenous rights. So, where is Australia headed in establishing treaties and a national truth-telling body?

Despite the federal government's silence following the referendum, some states have taken action. South Australia established its own state-based "Voice to Parliament" in March 2024, and New South Wales has launched a 12-month consultation to develop a path towards a treaty. Victoria established its own truth-telling commission in 2022. Gamilaroi and Yuwalaraay journalist Lorena Allam stated that communities are using the failure of the federal referendum to initiate these processes themselves. "Communities are having their own conversations about how to move forward with treaty and truth-telling, instead of waiting for the government to complete these processes." She added that this more organic approach to conversations makes truth-telling more meaningful and encourages greater participation. She also pointed out that communities are having these conversations locally because they are deeply connected to the local people and have a vested interest.

However, Professor Lyndon Coombes from the Jumbunna Institute stated that the federal government has been silent on how it intends to move forward after the referendum. "It feels like there is a bit of a vacuum at the national level, and the current government seems to be abandoning its ambitions in Aboriginal affairs." He believes that Indigenous communities have had to rely on themselves to push forward with the truth-telling process. "In the past year, I've seen communities become more insular, looking after each other and looking at where they're at." While most states are advancing their commitments to Aboriginal affairs, Queensland's efforts in truth-telling and the "Voice to Parliament" have been stalled.

Queensland's historic Path to Treaty, established in 2023, included a "Voice to Parliament" and an independent truth-telling commission. However, just weeks after the inquiry began in July 2024, a change in government led by the Liberal National Party Premier David Crisafulli saw the inquiry shut down. Ms. Turner stated that the closure of the inquiry, along with the state government's "tough on crime" agenda, has been devastating for Queensland's Indigenous communities. Despite the treaty and inquiry being abandoned, Ms. Turner said that Indigenous people are still continuing to fight against the government’s processes. "It’s good to see Queenslanders standing up. People need to keep doing what they can without the constraints of government." However, Professor Coombes believes that this kind of rhetoric from the government has had a worrying impact on people’s attitudes towards Indigenous communities. "The recent developments in Queensland with treaty and other justice-related things shows that this side of politics has become more emboldened."

Ms. Allam agreed that some governments are using the failure of the "Voice to Parliament" referendum to further push policies that are detrimental to Indigenous people. "We’re getting the backlash of things that were never really part of the vote, like arguing about whether ‘Welcome to Country’ is a valid response. Local councils are getting rid of the need to do that." She noted that people have conflated various racist grievances with the vote, which was really just about including a "Voice to Parliament" in the constitution. Following the disappointing referendum result, many Indigenous people feel rejected and are questioning their path forward. Ms. Turner stated that since then, the federal government has been stagnant in working with the Coalition of Peaks to achieve the "Closing the Gap" targets. However, Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations (ACCOs) have been working hard to achieve those targets. "People feel like there has been some stagnation since the referendum, but that's definitely not the case," Ms. Turner said. "People have been committed to these issues, and they're working to close the gap."

Professor Coombes said that the government's silence on the issue has not gone unnoticed. "We've been waiting for them to bounce back from the referendum, but that hasn't happened," he said. "I think there is a sense of frustration in the community, they voted for change, but they are waiting to see that change." Ms. Allam stated that the government's lack of action on treaty or truth-telling could harm them in this year's election. As such, communities are still waiting for the government to take action. "We’re in a period of a vacuum in leadership, where people are looking to themselves, and the federal government in a sense has vacated the space," she said. "They don’t want to talk about truth-telling or treaty-making, they’ve been saying it’s the responsibility of the states."