All of us need to understand the true history of NSW and its ongoing impact on First Nations people before we can move forward as a healed state. A Treaty, or Treaties, between the Traditional Owners of the land – the oldest living cultures on earth – and the state that imposed its authority violently upon First Nations people without their consent, has never been negotiated.
In NSW, First Nations people never ceded sovereignty. The Greens will work to develop a comprehensive truth telling and treaty process that delivers self determination for First Nations people, including dedicated representation in the NSW Parliament.
The Greens will work to develop a Truth and Treaty process that delivers self-determination for First Nations people in NSW.
A Treaty is a formal agreement between First Nations people and the NSW Government that acknowledges First Nations sovereignty, protects rights and sets the underlying terms for First Nations people to negotiate with the Government moving forward.
THE GREENS WILL:
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Establish a Truth & Justice Commission
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Establish an Independent Treaty Commission
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Commence a positive referendum process to create dedicated seats for First Nations people in the NSW Parliament
A Treaty process will:
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Determine the standards for how First Nations knowledge, culture and communities can thrive,
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Be built on truth-telling and healing. This means exploring, understanding, and reckoning with our painful past and the impact it continues to have on First Nations people and their cultures, and
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Provide an opportunity for everyone in NSW to celebrate what unites us and tell the story of who we are as a state. It’s a way to own up to our past and be proud of our future.
The Greens will begin the process of truth-telling and treaty. The Greens will raise the age of criminal responsibility and keep children with family and community. The Greens will introduce stand-alone cultural heritage laws controlled by Aboriginal People and expand rights to land. The Greens will divert all First Nations people from the prison system into a place-based First Nations-led reinvestment system that addresses the underlying needs and risk factors related to multigenerational trauma.