One of the biggest challenges in creating equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is having strong Indigenous representation in our nation’s parliaments. With a grand total of 784 elected positions in all parliaments across Australia, only 18 of these are held by Indigenous people.
Pictured: Nevelle Bonner – the first Indigenous Australian to become a member of the Parliament of Australia
According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Indigenous people make up 3% of the population yet 27% of the prison population, and 52% of all young people in detention. They also only make up 2.3% of our nations parliaments.
As well as this, Indigenous people are much less likely than non-Indigenous Australians to complete Year 11 and 12. Even worse, as the world of work changes over the next 10-20 years, young Indigenous people will be highly affected if these skills aren’t widely held. And, if we don’t change something Indigenous people will find it hard to gain employment.
If we don’t change anything at all, the gap will keep closing far too slowly. It may not close at all. It may get wider.
It’s time that Indigenous people were legitimately included in the conversation about our future. It really is. It’s important.
Australia prides itself on its diversity and inclusiveness, yet in a country where Indigenous people comprise of around 3%, we fall way short of the most basic standard of representative fairness that legislatures demand to reflect the societies they govern.
If our mainstream parties were serious about representation, they would pass a motion in their respective parliaments committing to increasing Indigenous representation.
It’s not just a win for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, it’s a win for Australia.
How so? Because Indigenous people would bring a unique and valuable contribution to parliaments and political debates. They would work side by side with other Australians to shape our future together.
This country will only thrive if we work it out together – leave no one behind and collaborate to find new solutions to the big issues.
Indigenous people know what they want, they know what they can offer, they want to be taken for real. We as a country need to just give them a go.
Let’s forget about those who pedal the old, negative stereotypes. Let’s forget about having the same old people in charge.
We are better than that.
We as a country can do better than that.
We should have more Indigenous representation in our nation’s parliaments.
Why? Because it’s time.
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