Treaty Watch: New South Wales By James Reed
Some moderate good news on the state treaty watch situation. In New South Wales, the proposed state treaty will only be subject to consultation and planning until the next state election, according to the premier. That gives a little more time for organisation of opposition and lobbying. Apparently after a $5 million consultation process, the issues of any changes will be taken to the state election, but the actual treaty proposition itself will not be taken to the election, presumably being regarded as so sacred to beyond democratic debate I suppose.
The good people of New South Wales need to make the treaty itself an election issue, with pressure being put upon the Liberal Party to do its job and oppose the treaty, since the treaty process was an essential component of the Voice, as seen in the foundation document of the Uluru Statement, which was soundly rejected in the referendum.
“A state treaty will not progress past consultation and planning in New South Wales until after the next election as the premier, Chris Minns, walks back reconciliation plans.
Speaking on 2GB on Monday morning, the Labor leader said whatever was recommended after a $5m year-long consultation process would be taken to voters before being progressed – a reversal of the policy being spruiked last week.
“We believe it’s important to have that dialogue but any substantial or major changes that we make to our arrangements in NSW we’d have to take it to an election,” he said.
“All we’re promising is to start that dialogue … I can’t promise quick changes, but I have promised dialogue.”
He said “we’re not planning” to take a treaty proposition to the next election.
“We have to see the progress of those talks and consultations,” he said.
The position stands in contrast with comments the premier made during questioning at a press conference last week.
When Guardian Australia asked if his election promise for consultation meant the government would not “further whatever recommendations come out of that process until after the next election”, Minns said “no”.
“We’ve started the process,” he said on Thursday. “I think the people of NSW trust us. We’ll be responsible, we’ll be reasonable, we’ll do it in concert with First Nations people.”
He added: “Whatever we choose, we’ll do it obviously by bringing it to the parliament and fully discussing it with the people of NSW.”
Questioned on the change on Monday, Minns said that “major changes to our constitutional arrangements or law, I did say before the election, we will take to another election”.
He refused to say what he thought was possible over the next three-and-a-half years.
The changing position comes after Guardian Australia last week revealed the government was reviewing part of its consultation plan after the crushing federal referendum defeat on the voice to parliament.
The government was yet to confirm the appointment of three commissioners to oversee the process as planned – and previously outlined by the Aboriginal affairs and treaty minister, David Harris, in April.
A senior Labor figure said there would be “strategic adjustments” in the wake of the “significant result” on the weekend.
Harris in April quietly announced he planned to appoint three commissioners, alongside a secretariat, to oversee a year-long treaty consultation with the First Nations community.
“They’ll bring a report back to the parliament and we will then work to set up a process that conforms to the views that we see,” the minister told the National Indigenous Times six months ago.
Since then, the government has refused to comment on what the process would look like or when it would begin, other than sometime in this term of parliament and after the referendum, no matter its result.
Asked about the plan on Thursday, Harris would not confirm if or when commissioners would be appointed. He said while the government had advocated a yes vote in the referendum it would also “respect and accept” the state’s 60% no vote.
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