Henderson, Genevieve --- "President's page: Relationships and Voice to Parliament" [2022] PrecedentAULA 59; (2022) 173 Precedent 3

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RELATIONSHIPS AND VOICE TO PARLIAMENT

By Genevieve Henderson

I acknowledge that the land on which I live and work is and always has been the land of First Nations peoples. I pay my respects to Elders past, present and emerging throughout Australia.

WORTH THE WAIT

It was wonderful to finally come together at the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2022 National Conference in SA’s beautiful Barossa Valley, on the lands of the Peramangk people, after two years of cancellations due to COVID-19.

The Conference commenced with a moving Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by Auntie Angelena, followed by two days of thought-provoking presentations by highly expert and engaging speakers. And throughout we enjoyed catching up with friends and colleagues over meals and perhaps the odd South Australian wine.

While we have all learned to engage with each other in virtual environments and hybrid working models never previously even considered, there really is no better way to strengthen an organisation than to come together in person to celebrate our victories, discuss our challenges and educate ourselves so that we can create a better future.

We welcomed incoming ALA General Manager Karyn Lemon and thanked our respected outgoing GM, Richard Trim, for steering the organisation through turbulent times. And we acknowledged and celebrated the contribution of some remarkable members of the organisation.

As an Alliance, our collective voice, expertise and focus is our strength and gives us the best chance to promote the interests of those we seek to help. I am sure you will agree that the Conference was a tremendous success and helped to set our focus for the next 12 months.

ALA’S SECOND RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN (RAP)

The ALA’s second RAP was launched at National Conference by Andrew Christopoulos (ALA National President 2019–20).

The ALA advocates for law reform that protects and promotes justice, freedom and the rights of the individual and particular groups of people in our community. Our RAP plays an important role in ensuring that the strategic direction of the ALA includes our commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The ALA’s vision for reconciliation is an Australia that knows and acknowledges the history of colonisation and dispossession, supports a First Nations voice in the Constitution and completes the process of Makarrata in order for there to be an inclusive national culture and identity.

Our RAP embraces and formalises our longstanding commitment to human rights and social justice through practical initiatives and policy advocacy. Our RAP journey since 2019 has deepened our understanding of the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and highlighted the opportunities for engagement and action.

We also know that the value of our policy and advocacy work is enhanced when we develop stronger relationships with First Nations peoples so that their priorities and perspectives are genuinely reflected in our work. The ongoing development of these relationships is a key focus for our second RAP.

While much has been achieved under our first RAP there is still much more to do. We are particularly conscious of the role the legal profession will play over the next two years to support the constitutional change required to allow the realisation of a Voice to Parliament.

The federal Government has committed to go to a Voice referendum in its first term, with the best guess being late 2023.

As lawyers, we have an opportunity to play an important role in the referendum campaign. We can help Australians to understand the campaign’s fundamentals, the difficult questions that will be raised, the details and the history. This means we have a responsibility to know the basics of what the First Nations Voice is and why it needs to be constitutionally enshrined.

‘Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians ... is Australia’s longest standing and unresolved project of justice, unity and inclusion.’^[1]

The ALA is committed to campaigning for a successful referendum. I look forward to being part of this historic change.

Genevieve Henderson is Senior Practice Leader, Work and Road Claims NSW and ACT Central and North, at Slater and Gordon. PHONE [phone] EMAIL [e-mail].

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^[1] N Pearson, Who We Were And Who We Can Be (Boyer Lecture 2022, 27 October 2022).