Victoria has become the first state to pass laws paving the way for a Treaty with Indigenous Australians in a landmark victory.
Cheers broke out in the upper house just after 8:45pm on Thursday as the landmark Statewide Treaty Bill passed, with Labor MPs and spectators celebrating.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were draped from the gallery, and many MPs and onlookers were moved to tears.
The new laws are being hailed as a historic moment for Indigenous Victorians, aiming to improve outcomes in justice, health, education, and cultural recognition.
The legislation will set up Australia’s first Treaty, create a powerful Indigenous council called Gellung Warl to oversee government departments, and bring Indigenous truth-telling and a new curriculum into schools.
It also requires government departments to consult on programs affecting Indigenous people, check new laws for treaty compatibility, and set up a naming authority for places.
Labor pushed the bill through with support from the Greens, Legalise Cannabis, and Animal Justice parties, while the Coalition, Libertarian MP David Limbrick, One Nation’s Indigenous MP Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers’ Jeff Bourman voted against it.
During debate, the government faced criticism for pushing ahead with the Treaty, even though 54 per cent of Victorians voted against the national Voice to Parliament referendum in 2023.
But senior minister Lizzie Blandthorn argued the referendum didn’t affect the Treaty, which the government had taken to two elections.
Dr Jill Gallagher, head of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, said passing the bill marks the start of a new chapter for Victoria.
“Treaty is not just about recognition – it’s about justice, healing and truth-telling. It’s about a future that we can all be proud of,” she said.
“Today we celebrate our elders past and present, our staunch leaders, and our young people who have not stopped fighting for a future where decisions about us are shaped by us and for us.
“I have long dreamt of being part of a society where all Victorians can celebrate and enjoy the many benefits that come with belonging to one of the world’s oldest living cultures. I believe Treaty will make that dream a reality.”
“The path to treaty has been long,” Indigenous Labor MP Sheena Watt said.
“Our old people have been on the journey to treaty since the beginning of colonisation, having long been vocal in calling out the history of injustices and dispossession faced by First Peoples in this country.”
Watt said it was “the culmination of 10 years of leadership and hard work by this government, the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, the Treaty Authority and the Yoorrook Justice Commission as well as the advocacy of many staunch, deadly First Nations people who have fought for justice and recognition for mob over the decades”.
“For over 200 years in this place and many other halls of power like it, laws and policies have been made about my people without us,” he said.
“But today we change that. Today we create a new status quo, recognising that where past governments have tried and failed time and time again, it is time to try something new. We know that giving people a say on the issues that impact them leads to better outcomes for health and wellbeing, for housing security, for education and for so much more.
“For First Peoples, this is no different. We know from decades of failed policies and ineffective commissions and bodies that the best way to make a difference in the lives of First Nations people is by giving us the tools to take ownership over our own lives.
“That is how we close the gap.”
Over nearly 20 years, the national Closing the Gap strategy — aimed at tackling Indigenous disadvantage — mostly fell short on targets like health, education, employment, and life expectancy.
Rueben Berg, co-Chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, said the Treaty acknowledges that Aboriginal people are the experts on their own lives.
“Through Treaty, we will have the ability to use our expertise to come up with and deliver practical solutions for our local communities, in areas like health, education, housing and justice,” he said.
“This will mean better outcomes for our people as we know what does and doesn’t work for us.”
Premier Jacinta Allan said the Treaty will give Aboriginal communities real power to shape the policies and services that affect their lives.
“This is how we build a fairer, stronger Victoria for everyone,” she said.
The post Victorian Parliament Passes Historic Treaty Bill In Landmark Victory For Indigenous People appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
