By Situation Theatre 8/6/2020
He described tediously predictable culture wars of distraction as “irresponsible”, “heartbreaking”, “reckless”, “awful”, “incredibly selfish”, “incredibly self-indulgent”, and “posing an unnecessary and unacceptable risk on to the community”.
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has surprised the nation by listening to the heartfelt calls of protesters in mass rallies across the country. He used a Sunday morning Sky News interview to offer up a 12-step plan to end Aboriginal deaths in custody and bring justice and respect to Indigenous communities.
The plan is as follows:
The Australian Government must negotiate a treaty or treaties with the sovereign First Nations peoples of the lands.
The Australian Constitution must acknowledge the prior and ongoing occupation and sovereignty of First Nations peoples and their right to land, water, sky and resources.
First Nations peoples continue to have a strong cultural and spiritual connection with the land, waters, sky, flora and fauna, and their rights and obligations as custodians must be respected.
Australia must comply with international instruments that recognise the rights of First Nations peoples including the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
First Nations Peoples have a right to self-determination and political representation as guaranteed by the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and should be enabled to lead in the development and implementation of public policies, programs and services that affect them.
First Nations peoples have the right to retain, and benefit financially from, the cultural and intellectual property and heritage rights invested in traditional knowledge and in the biodiversity of their traditional lands, waters and sky, in accordance with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Where First Nations peoples have been dispossessed of traditional lands, waters and sky they have a right to redress and reparations through measures that assist them to acquire, reclaim, and/or manage their land, natural resources and waters, in a way that enhances their social, cultural, spiritual, economic and environmental wellbeing.
All Australians, including those living in remote communities, have an equal right to essential government services such as health, education, training, housing, community infrastructure, employment support, and culturally specific and culturally safe justice systems.
First Nations peoples are entitled to the same outcomes in health, life expectancy, education, employment and living standards as other Australians.
Governments must address the continuing impact of the unjust treatment of First Nations peoples and make reparations to the Stolen Generations and those affected by the Frontier Wars.
It should be a national priority to work with local First Nations communities and national and state peak organisations to reduce the number of First Nations Peoples entering the criminal justice and child protection systems.
Implement all applicable recommendations of the 339 made by the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody by the end of 2020.
Fantastic. Great move. Well done Matthias.
*The first 11 steps are Greens principles.The 12th didn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out.
You can read more specific aims here.