The Life Course Centre affirms its support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its call for a First Nations Voice to Parliament (the Voice) to be enshrined in Australia’s Constitution.
The Voice is a key element of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, developed through diverse First Nations regional dialogues across Australia. In the forthcoming Referendum, Australians will be asked to vote on an alteration to the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing the Voice.
We accept this generous offer of First Nations people to walk with them in a movement for a better future, to give them a voice on matters that affect their lives, and to bring the country together by connecting all Australians to 65,000 years of continuous First Nations culture.
Supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice aligns strongly with the Life Course Centre’s vision to break the cycle of deep and persistent disadvantage and improve life opportunities and outcomes for all Australians. Read more on our vision, mission, goals and values here.
We recognise the significant contributions that First Nations people, organisations and communities have made, and continue to make, to Australian society, and we value First Nations leadership in shaping our research, capacity building and knowledge translation strategies.
We acknowledge that there will be a diversity of views among the Australian community about the Voice proposal and that different views should be respected in this debate. We encourage all those who work and partner with us to develop a deep understanding of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice, and to make an informed choice at the forthcoming Referendum.
Professor Janeen Baxter
Life Course Centre Director