Struthers, Karen --- "Hands on Parliament: Indigenous Peoples' Participation in Queensland's Democratic Processes" [2003] IndigLawB 52; (2003) 5(27) Indigenous Law Bulletin 4

• Hands On Parliament: Indigenous Peoples’ Participation In Queensland’s Democratic Processes

---

Hands on Parliament: Indigenous Peoples’ Participation in Queensland’s Democratic Processes

by Karen Struthers

A model plan of action for political parties to proactively involve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in party processes is the centrepiece of a report by a Queensland parliamentary committee. Other key actions recommended by the committee to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ participation in Queensland’s democratic processes include: recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ as the first peoples of Queensland; enhancing civics and voter education; enhancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ participation in local government; and increasing the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in electorate offices and Parliament itself.

The Hands on Parliament report was tabled by the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee in the Queensland Parliament on 11 September 2003.

The committee’s inquiry stemmed from a recommendation of the Queensland Constitutional Review Commission that the committee ‘conduct an inquiry into the possibility of special representation for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders’. The committee expanded the scope of its inquiry to consider barriers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ participation in democratic processes in Queensland and strategies which might overcome those barriers, including the possibility of dedicated Indigenous seats in the Queensland Parliament.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples set up the original systems of government and currently comprise 3% of the Queensland’s population. Yet in more than 130 years of Westminster-style government in Queensland, there has only been one Aboriginal elected representative in the State Parliament—Mr Eric Deeral who was the Member for Cook from 1974 to 1977. There has not yet been a Torres Strait Islander representative in the State Parliament.

Anecdotally, there have been similar levels of under-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples at the local government level.

It was clear from the committee’s research and consultation that there is a need for increased participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in all levels of government and the various processes which feed into those levels.

In its report the committee recommends a range of achievable and workable strategies to enhance the participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Queensland’s democratic processes. The committee has also ensured that its recommendations are consistent with the long-term aims of reconciliation and the right to self-determination held by many Indigenous people.

The recommendations in the report largely require the government to take action. However, all people must take responsibility for their own participation in democratic processes. In this regard, Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders, political parties, the Parliament and the government will be called to account for steps taken to ensure the State’s first peoples are given a proper voice in democratic processes when an evaluation is conducted after three state electoral cycles or nine years, whichever is the later, as recommended in the report.

The committee is determined that its report will lead to positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and raise awareness of issues among non-Indigenous Queenslanders so that further progress can be made towards a reconciled community.

Copies of the report can be obtained from www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Committees/ or the committee’s secretariat on [phone].