Osher Gunsberg has delivered a stunning criticism of Australia’s failure so far to act on the principles of the Uluru Statement.
Indigenous rights groups are pushing for a referendum to instil a constitutionally enshrined First Nations voice to Parliament.
They say that voice would give indigenous Australians a fair go in deciding on the issues that impact them and their communities.
However, an emotional Mr Gunsberg took strong issue with the idea that giving First Nations people a voice was even a question we had to ask.
Speaking on ABC’s Q&A program on Thursday night, he called it, “old school, colonialist oppression and bullshit”.
“To be asked to vote whether someone‘s humanity is legitimate – a person who has descended from the people who were here before the colonial oppressors took over,” Mr Gunsberg said.
“It’s their land, man.
“We’re asking them to sit while we debate if their humanity and their reason to exist and their dignity is worth writing down.”
Also on the panel was highly respected architect behind the Uluru Statement, Cobble Cobble woman and constitutional law professor from UNSW, Megan Davis.
Ms Davis explained that through working with the government, the advice she received was a referendum was the best way to enact the constitutional change of a voice to parliament.
Along with other Indigenous leaders, Ms Davis has worked to propose two key dates for a referendum to be held – 27 May 2023, or 27 January 2024.
“There is next year, the 56th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, and so that would be on May 27, 2023. And then the following year is a date that falls the day after Invasion Day/Australia Day,” Ms Davis said.
First however, a referendum needs to be called, which Labor has committed to and the Liberal Coalition has not.
Despite the Labor Party committing to implementing the Uluru Statement in full, Labor Minister Chris Bowen refused to commit to a date on the show on Thursday night, however he said the initiative would be historic.
“It would be equivalent to Gough sifting the soils into the hands and Kevin apologising – this has to happen,” Mr Bowen said.
Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg has stepped outside his party line in supporting the Uluru Statement, which he described on Q&A as a “gift” to the nation.
“I want to acknowledge Megan’s work and all the work that has gone into bringing together what is a very unifying agendaxjmtzyw for our country,” he said.
