{"id":327023,"date":"2022-11-28T18:27:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T08:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=327023"},"modified":"2022-11-28T21:58:08","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T11:58:08","slug":"nats-oppose-indigenous-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2022\/11\/28\/nats-oppose-indigenous-voice\/","title":{"rendered":"Nats Oppose Indigenous ‘Voice’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
The Uluru Statement From The Heart … a joint declaration drafted after a gathering of Indigenous representatives from across Australia near Uluru in 2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Member for Maranoa David Littleproud<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

November 28, 2022<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Nationals believe a Voice to Parliament – as proposed in the Uluru Statement From The Heart – would “undermine democracy” in Australia.<\/p>\n

Nationals Leader and Member for Maranoa David Littleproud said his party would oppose the “Voice”, which Federal Labor aims to put to a referendum during this term in office, possibly in mid-2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Voice will not advance the primary aim of Closing the Gap and dealing with the real issues faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” Mr Littleproud said.<\/p>\n

He described the proposal as a “voice for Redfern”, ie. urban First Nations residents, rather than for communities in regional, rural and remote Australia.<\/p>\n

He said The Nationals had consulted widely before reaching its decision.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe in protecting communities and families when it comes to alcohol and drugs and we believe in the economic development of Indigenous land, solutions that will economically empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,\u201d Mr Littleproud said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Voice will add another layer of bureaucratic red tape.<\/p>\n

\u201cA core component that underpins our free, liberal democratic society in Australia is the fundamental principle that every citizen is considered equal under the law.<\/p>\n

“A constitutionally enshrined advisory body to Parliament based solely on a person\u2019s race is the antithesis of the values that we share as The National Party.\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In July this year, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a draft of the three sentences which would be added to the Australian Constitution if the proposed referendum passes:<\/strong><\/p>\n