LABOR Senator Jana Stewart has accused Member for Mallee Anne Webster of trying to mislead the community about the balance and rigour of a parliamentary committee considering an Indigenous Voice to parliament.
Senator Stewart, a Mutthi Mutthi and Wamba Wamba woman, was one of 13 MPs who spent six weeks on a joint select committee that recommended the proposed wording for this year’s referendum be left unchanged.
The Labor-led committee’s chair, Senator Nina Green, said alternative proposals were not necessary or justified, and in most cases would water down the intent of the proposal.
The committee had seven Labor, four Coalition and two crossbench senators, and dissenting reports were submitted by three Liberal senators and one Nationals senator.
Dr Webster said last week she was disappointed with the outcome of the inquiry, labelling it unbalanced and “heavily weighted towards pro-Voice members”.
Senator Stewart said the committee travelled across the country, heard from 68 witnesses and received 270 submissions.
“It’s disappointing to see the Member for the Mallee seek to mislead our community simply because she disagrees with the outcome of the committee’s inquiry,” Ms Stewart said.
“The committee’s report is supported by a majority of its members, including two non-government members, one of whom is a former National (Andrew Gee).
“We heard Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, in their communities, talk about the practical and lasting change a voice would bring to them.
“The committee heard evidence from witnesses with wide-ranging views and backgrounds, including former Coalition minister Ken Wyatt and former deputy Liberal leader Fred Chaney, who both expressed a scathing review of the Opposition’s current position on the Voice.
“They agreed constitutional recognition was long overdue and the Voice will make a real difference to the lives of Aboriginal people.”
Senator Stewart, who grew up in Swan Hill, said the Voice proposal was about sending a message across the country, that non-Indigenous Australians wanted to walk together with First Nations people towards a better future.
“The outcome of the referendum will not affect the day-to-day lives of 96.2 per cent of Australians, no matter what politically-motivated fearmongers say,” she said.
“The Coalition had a decade in government to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, but they did not.”
