2019 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election

An election to elect representatives to the First Peoples' Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria occurred in 2019. The election filled seats to the body which was charged with the responsibility of preparing for negotiations with the Government of Victoria about a treaty with the state's Aboriginal population.

2019 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election
16 September 2019 – 20 October 2019
21 seats elected
11 seats appointed
Registered~30,000
Turnout~2000 (7.0%)

The voting period was 16 September to 20 October 2019.[1] Only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria and at least 16 years of age were eligible to vote in the election.[2][3] However, only 7% of the eligible voters turned out to vote.[4]

Background

In June 2018 the Victorian Parliament passed legislation to create a framework for negotiating a treaty with Aboriginal people. The legislation was supported by the Labor Government and the Greens, though not by the two opposition parties, the Liberal and National parties.[5] The legislation included provisions to create an Aboriginal representative body and its implementation was overseen by the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission chaired by Jill Gallagher.[5][6] The lead-up to the vote was not without controversy, as it occurred amidst the Andrews Labor Government's planned duplication of the Western Highway near Ararat. The duplication plans included a proposal to disrupt a cultural site with trees sacred to Aboriginal people in the area. A protest on the steps of Parliament House included protesters with signs saying "no trees, no treaty".[7]

Assembly

The Assembly was filled by 32 representatives, the majority of which were elected in five regions; 9 from Melbourne region, 3 from Western Victoria region, 3 from North-Western region, 3 from Northern region, and 3 from Eastern region. A further 11 seats were reserved for formally recognised Traditional Owner Groups.[8] 73 people nominated for the Assembly and approximately 30,000 people were eligible to vote.[1] To vote, eligible voters were first required to enrol online and provide evidence of identity, age and residence.[9] Voting opened on 16 September and closed on 20 October 2019, and voters could cast a ballot online, by post or at one of 43 polling booths across Victoria.[2]

Once elected, the Assembly was not responsible for negotiating a treaty or multiple treaties with the Victorian government on behalf of Aboriginal clans and nations.[8] Instead the Assembly's primary responsibilities were to:[3][10]

  • Establish the Treaty Authority – an independent umpire in the negotiation process
  • Establish the Treaty Negotiating Framework – a body who set the ground rules for negotiations and authorised who may negotiate on behalf of certain people/clans
  • Establish the Self-Determination Fund – to support Aboriginal communities to be on an even playing field with government when treaties are being negotiated

Results

The 21 elected candidates were announced on 4 November 2019.[11][12] Seven days later the commission announced the 11 people appointed by formally recognised Traditional Owner groups (termed Registered Aboriginal Parties or Traditional Owner Corporations) to a reserved seat on the Assembly.[13]

The first meeting of the Assembly took place on 10 December 2019 at Parliament House, Melbourne.[14]

Elected members
Metropolitan South west North west North east South east
Esmerelda Glenda Bamblett Sissy Austin[lower-alpha 1] Jacinta Chaplin Geraldine Atkinson Peter Hood
Muriel Pauline Bamblett AO Michael (Mookeye) Bell Raylene Ivy Harradine[lower-alpha 2] Natarsha Bamblett[lower-alpha 3] Alice Ann Pepper
Rueben Berg Jordan Edwards Jason Kelly Leanne Miller Kaylene Williamson
Carolyn Briggs AM
Matthew Burns
Tracey Evans
Trevor John Gallagher
Ngarra Murray
Alister Thorpe
Reserved seat holders

One seat unfilled, because the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation were entitled to appoint a member but did not do so. Seat holders may have ancestry from multiple First Nations.

Name Nation (clan) Region Registered Aboriginal Party
Dylan Clarke Wotjobaluk North West Barengi Gadjin Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
Trent Nelson Dja Dja Wurrung, Yorta Yorta North West Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation
Sean Fagan Wadawurrung Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Marcus Stewart Taungurung Taungurung Land and Waters Council Aboriginal Corporation
Donna Wright Gunditjmara (Kerrupmara), Kamilaroi South West Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation
Melissa Jones Latje Latje, Wotjobaluk North West First People of the Millewa-Mallee Aboriginal Corporation
Jamie Lowe Gunditjmara Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Robert Ogden[lower-alpha 4] Bunurong Metropolitan Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation
Andrew Gardiner Wurundjeri, Woi Wurung Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation
Troy McDonald Gunai Kurnai South East Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation
Unfilled - - Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation

See also

Notes
  1. Charmaine Clarke was elected in a by-election in June 2021,[15] following the resignation of Sissy Austin in October 2020.[16]
  2. Outgoing member.[17]
  3. Travis Morgan was elected in a by-election in April 2022,[18] following the resignation of Natarsha Bamblett in 2021.[19]
  4. Seat now held by Shane Clarke from September 2022.

References
  1. Australian Associated Press (16 September 2019). "Voting opens for representatives to Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly". The Guardian.
  2. Rollason, Bridget (16 September 2019). "Victorian treaty negotiations move closer as voting opens for First Peoples' Assembly". ABC News. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. "About". First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. 24 November 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  4. Towell, Noel (10 November 2019). "Historic vote, but only 7 per cent turned out for Aboriginal poll". The Age. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  5. "Victoria passes historic law to create Indigenous treaty framework". The Guardian. 22 June 2018.
  6. "About the Commission". victreatyadvancement.org.au. Archived from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  7. "Western Highway sacred trees protest comes to steps of Victorian Parliament". ABC News. 10 September 2019.
  8. "Victorian treaty vote for First Peoples' Assembly delivers a different kind of state election". ABC News. 6 October 2019.
  9. "Vote". First Peoples Victoria. Archived from the original on 8 October 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  10. "First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria". Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
  11. Dunstan, Joseph (4 November 2019). "Victorian Aboriginal voters have elected an Assembly to advance the treaty process. So what's next?". abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  12. "Results: First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria election". victreatyadvancement.org.au. 7 November 2019. Archived from the original on 8 November 2019. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  13. "More Aboriginal leaders appointed to First Peoples' Assembly". Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  14. "Self-determination arrives at the centre of a colonial power structure". Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission. 31 October 2019. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 2 November 2019.
  15. "Gunditjmara Elder Charmaine Clarke elected to First People's Assembly". The Standard. 2 April 2021. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  16. "'Fighting from the ground up': Austin to resign from assembly due to sacred tree removal". The Courier. 28 October 2020. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  17. "Journey to Treaty has enriched my life: Statement from outgoing Member Raylene Harradine". First Peoples' Assembly. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  18. "Treaty north-east by-election candidate elected". Sepparton News. 17 April 2022. Archived from the original on 17 April 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  19. "Nominations open for Assembly by-election". Seven News. 25 January 2022. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
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