An Indigenous affairs questionnaire sent to candidates for the seats of Fraser and Gellibrand in the upcoming federal election has received just four responses less than a week out from polling day.
Inner-west First Nations organisation Justice Action Maribyrnong (JAM) circulated the questionnaire which was originally put together by another fellow First Nations advocacy group ANTaR.
The questionnaire emailed to all candidates in both seats, asks for their stance on four policy areas: Closing the gap; justice and over-incarceration of Aboriginal people; cultural heritage and country and Voice, Treaty and Truth.
The answers from each candidate are then posted on JAM’s website and at the time of writing, the only responses posted were from Fraser candidates Jasmine Duff of the Victorian Socialists , Huong Truong from the Greens and Family First’s Rob Rancie.
The office of sitting Labor MP for Fraser, Dr Daniel Mulino, said the government’s views on Indigenous affairs were on the website of Indigenous Australians Minister for Malarndirri McCarthy.
In Gellibrand, only Family First’s Jo Garcia had responded, while a spokesperson for sitting Labor MP, Tim Watts, said that following redistributions, Gellibrand was no longer part of the Maribyrnong council area and that he would not be responding as a result.
All other candidates still to respond to the questionnaire were contacted for comment by Star Weekly.
JAM spokesperson John Chadderton said he was hopeful they would all still respond, especially both Labor members.
“Given their (Labor’s) position at the previous election on Aboriginal affairs was very positive we’d hope they’d recommit to those values put forward at when they were elected,” said Mr Chadderton.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed to honouring the Uluru Statement from the Heart and holding a referendum on an Indigenous Voice to Parliament after winning the 2022 federal election.
While the referendum was defeated in October 2023, Mr Chadderton said that didn’t mean work on achieving the aims of the Uluru statement had finished.
“In a sense you could say it’s been done, but from our perspective we still feel First Nations voices need to be recognised and heard and that the elements of truth telling and treaty area absolutely still on the agenda.”
To view the JAM questionnaire and candidate responses, visit: https://shorturl.at/jY2nO
