“According to new data from Reconciliation Australia, national support for Treaty has jumped to 72%. That’s a 25% increase in four years!” Said Senator Lidia Thorpe, the Greens spokesperson for First Nations.
Senator Lidia Thorpe said:
“We learnt yesterday that First Nations children are 10x more likely to be living in out of home care than non-Indigenous kids, less than half of them are living with First Nations carers. Forcibly taking children away from their community is an act of genocide, according to the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
“Today, Reconciliation Australia showed us that 60% of First Nations people have experienced racism in the last six months.
“We know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are 26x more likely than their non-Indigenous classmates to be incarcerated.
“This is all evidence of systemic racism in this country. The solution is self-determination. It’s critical that First Nations people have more than just ‘a say’ over the matters that affect us.
“Everyone is better off when we are free to steer our own course, yet successive Governments continue to lock First Nations people out of decision making processes and force policies onto us that continue the violent legacy of colonisation.
“We need a Treaty to redefine and rebuild the relationship between the Government and First Nations people. A Treaty will restore our right to make decisions for ourselves, our families, our communities and our homelands.
“Through real justice, we can build a society where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.
“Treaty was promised by Bob Hawke’s Labor government in the 80s and it’s still unfinished business today. There’s growing support for First Nations people to be in the driver’s seat when it comes to making decisions about our community, our country and our culture. The Greens will keep fighting to make this a reality.” Said Thorpe.