As an organisation committed to Australia’s economic and social development for the prosperity of all Australians, CEDA supports reconciliation and an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The Voice was proposed in the Uluru Statement from the Heart presented in 2017. The statement calls for, “… the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution and a Makarrata Commission to supervise a process of agreement-making and truth-telling about our history.”
WHAT DOES A VOICE REALLY MEAN?
A Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous communities a route to help inform policy and legal decisions that impact their members.
Embedding a Voice in the Australian Constitution would recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, and would make this a permanent feature of our society.
A change to the Constitution requires approval through a national referendum.
In 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposed a possible referendum question: “Do you support an alteration to the Constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?”
KEY RESOURCES FOR CEDA MEMBERS
As the country prepares for a referendum, many CEDA Members are considering their role in supporting the change.
CEDA has compiled a series of resources to help inform thinking and provide insight for our Members on this critical issue for Australia’s economic development.
- Uluru Statement from the Heart
- Indigenous Voice Co-design report
- 2018 Joint Select Committee report
- 2020 Australian Reconciliation Barometer
- Prime Minister the Hon. Anthony Albanese speech at Garma on The Voice
- Garma Festival 2022: The Hon. Linda Burney, Yiŋiya Mark Guyula, June Oscar, Dean Parkin, Mayatili Marika & Jacinta Nampijinpa Price talk Voice on ABC's QnA
- Professor Marcia Langton describes the Voice to Parliament process
- Closing the Gap 2022 Annual Report
- Economic benefits of closing the gap in Indigenous employment outcomes - Deloitte Access Economics
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Support the referendum to enable a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament
- Read and share with your networks the Uluru Statement from The Heart
- Become informed on what a Voice to Parliament is and what it means for Indigenous communities
- Identify the traditional owners of the areas you operate in
- Engage with the traditional owners in your community to understand their perspectives
- Connect with state and territory reconciliation organisations through the Australian Reconciliation Network.
"Voice. Treaty. Truth. This is what Indigenous Australians want. This is our aspiration."
Federal Minister for Indigenous Affairs, the Hon. Linda Burney, and Senator for Western Australia, Senator Patrick Dodson, joined CEDA at State of the Nation 2022 to discuss the First Nations Voice to Parliament.
"Employment is powerful, because it can be lifechanging. Not just for this generation but for every generation that follows."
The Minderoo Foundation developed the first Indigenous Employment Index, a study that represents the first time dozens of Australia’s largest employers have responded collectively to provide a comprehensive snapshot of Indigenous employment. From the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, the participating organisations employ more than 700,000 Australians, or about five per cent of the nation’s workforce.
In May 2022, CEDA was honoured to hear from Minderoo Foundation, Generation One, Director, Shelley Cable to reveal the findings of the report and hear from other distinguished leaders. Watch the full discussion below.
"It is First Nations from across the country saying: This is what we think recovery looks like. This is what we think reconciliation looks like. This is what we think forgiveness looks like."
In January 2019, CEDA was privileged to hear from Professor Megan Davis, who led the Uluru dialogues for the Referendum Council from 2015-2017. In this address, Professor Megan Davis reflected on the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the path forward for Australia's indigenous community.
CEDA's COMMITMENT TO RECONCILIATION
CEDA's Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan was officially endorsed by Reconciliation Australia in July 2022.
The Reflect RAP marks an important step in CEDA’s journey to support the achievement of a just, equitable and reconciled Australia and demonstrates the commitments and ambition of the CEDA team in advancing reconciliation for the benefit of all Australians.
Most importantly, the RAP demonstrates CEDA’s firmly held belief that building better relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will contribute positively to Australia’s economic and social prosperity.