The Voice – October 2023
The SPANZA Executive support an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament
The SPANZA Executive release this statement in support of the “Yes” position for the Voice to Parliament in the upcoming referendum on 14th October 2023.
The SPANZA Executive acknowledge the findings of the 2023 ‘Closing the Gap’ annual report (https://www.pc.gov.au/closing-the-gap-data/annual-data-report/report) highlighting the ongoing health care outcomes currently experienced by indigenous children in Australia.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart (https://ulurustatement.org/the-statement/view-the-statement/) is an invitation from Australia’s First Nations people to all Australians “to walk with us” to create a “better future for our children”.
The SPANZA Executive believe the Voice to Parliament offers an opportunity to address the inequity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s access to healthcare in Australia and is in keeping with SPANZA’s values of to be “child-centred, to promote equity, to be inclusive and to have respect.”
The SPANZA Executive also endorse the ANZCA Council and the FPM Board’s statement of support for the “Yes” position for the Voice to Parliament (anzca-council-and-the-fpm-board-support-an-aborigi.pdf) and the ASA Board and Council’s Statement on The Uluru Statement from the Heart https://asa.org.au/policy-2/position-statements/
We encourage our membership, collaborative partners, and all health care providers to consider the effects on the health, wellbeing and right to self-determination of Australia’s First Nations people when voting on October 14th.
SPANZA remains committed to working in partnership with First Nations people to actively address the healthcare gap for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori children.
