Why the IEU supports a ‘yes’ vote: a message from the General Secretary

Australians head to the polls on Saturday to determine the fate of a proposed amendment to the Constitution which would recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the original inhabitants of this continent and establish a consultative Voice to Parliament.

I’m not going to tell you how to vote, but I do want to briefly outline why the IEU is proud to support this constitutional change, and why I will be equally proudly voting ‘yes’ on Saturday.

Just yesterday I welcomed a group of enthusiastic Consultative Committee Reps to a training day designed to grow their skills and confidence as they perform their essential role. The work that they do is critical in ensuring that our workplaces thrive and that important decisions are carefully considered and shaped by genuine input from those who they will affect.

That training is crucial because all union members know that genuine consultation leads to better outcomes: this is the essence of the Voice to Parliament model that is being put to the Australian people. 

We are a union of workers supporting and educating future generations, largely in faith-based institutions – and we firmly endorse the words of the letter co-signed by leaders of all major faiths operating in Australia, which powerfully concludes: “we draw upon our diverse traditions, beliefs and cultures to unite in support of this just cause… Future generations of Australians will not forgive us if we fail to grasp the historical moment, and ‘advance Australia’ further along the path of justice.”

This is a straightforward proposal, despite the efforts of some opponents to make out that it is somehow simultaneously complicated and lacking in detail. The proposed amendment is brief, and questions of resourcing and procedural matters will evolve as needed, ultimately overseen by our democratically elected representatives.

The Voice proposal is not divisive, or about ‘special treatment’ – it is a long-overdue constitutional recognition of a culture that has existed on this continent for tens of thousands of years. It’s an acknowledgement that decades of well-intentioned policies relating to indigenous Australians have tragically failed, and that even the most well-meaning political leaders will make better decisions if they are obliged to listen to those affected by these decisions – not obliged to agree, just to listen. 

It's also not a radical proposal – settler countries around the world including New Zealand, Canada and the USA have long had comparable (or stronger) constitutional recognition of or mechanisms for consulting with First Nations people.

We don’t know how much difference The Voice will make, but we do know that there is something crucial missing in Australia’s Constitution, and that the lack of genuine, consistent consultation with the first inhabitants of our continent has failed indigenous communities – and failed Australia. We have the opportunity this weekend to take an important step towards addressing these fundamental issues.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart invites us to walk together for a better future.

I’m proud to accept that invitation.

David Brear

General Secretary

Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania