AUSTRALIA’S Sisters of St Joseph have spoken up in favour of a Voice to Parliament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In a statement released on Australia Day, January 26, the sisters called for that Voice to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution.
The statement, issued by the sisters’ Josephite Justice Network, affirmed the Uluru Statement from the Heart produced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2017.
The Josephites said they supported the Uluru Statement’s “call for truth-telling, for a Makarrata Commission to supervise treaty-making, and for a national voice enshrined in the Constitution”.
They said these proposals were “reasonable, workable and judicious”.
The Josephites’ Australian congregational leader Sr Monica Cavanagh said the Federal Government had indicated it intended to legislate a Voice to Parliament but that that would not include constitutional recognition.
“A national Voice is not a third chamber of Parliament (as has been argued by opponents),” Sr Cavanagh said.
“It’s a voice to Parliament, enshrined in the Constitution, providing First
Nations Peoples with the opportunity to advise Parliament on issues related to them.
“As Josephites, we support both advocacy for the (Uluru) Statement and awareness-raising among non-Indigenous Australians.”
Sr Cavanagh said the Uluru Statement was delivered to the Australian people after extensive dialogue with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“It is the official voice of First Nations Australians and, as Josephites, we stand with our Indigenous brothers and sisters in advocating for the acceptance of the whole of the statement,” she said.
“Critically, we believe that a national voice enshrined in the Constitution is fundamental to this invitation.”
