More than 50 Aboriginal people gathered to discuss the Voice to Parliament referendum and receive an update on the South Coast Aboriginal Fishing Rights class action.
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Narooma's Wally Stewart and Nowra's Rob Chewying convened the meeting in Bingie on Saturday, September 9.
Danny Chapman, chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, chaired the meeting.
Fiona Cornforth, CEO of The Healing Foundation for three years until August, spoke about the referendum.
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The Healing Foundation was established for survivors of the Stolen Generation after the apology by Kevin Rudd.
It advocates for no further harm and healing.
Linda Burney, Minister for Indigenous Australians, and Senator Pat Dodson invited Ms Cornforth to join the First Nations Referendum Engagement Group.
"There are about 70 people taking the fear and confusion out of those conversations about the referendum and learning what the opportunity is and what it is not," Ms Cornforth said.
No traction on closing the gap
Ms Cornforth, Mr Chapman and BJ Cruse, chair of the Eden Local Aboriginal Land Council, recounted how successive governments had given them platforms - the National Aboriginal Consultative Committee (NACC) and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Commission (ATSIC) - and then taken them away.
"We can't get any traction in closing the gap on housing, jobs and incarceration," Mr Cruse said.
"Every time we get near the goal posts have moved."
They said the Voice to Parliament would be an advisory body without veto powers.
"It is not perfect but we would have a seat at the table and they cannot take that away without another referendum," Ms Cornforth said.
Fear and confusion
Some people questioned the government's motive for giving them anything which Ms Cornforth said was a valid reaction given the experience since colonisation.
Some expressed concern they would lose their sovereignty.
"We were mentioned in the constitution in 1967 and it doesn't affect our sovereign rights," Mr Cruse said.
Others wanted a treaty first but several leaders said that was putting the cart before the horse and they need a line of communication to talk about treaty.
I saw John Howard on TV saying he will vote no because it if gets up, there is no way we can ignore that. As Prime Minister they pick and choose what they ignore, so the Voice makes us harder to ignore.
- Danny Chapman, chair of NSW Aboriginal Land Council
Ms Cornforth said the government has not adopted a model for the Voice.
Mr Chapman said the engagement group will be disbanded after the referendum and if the vote gets up, work on the construct will begin.
"That will take two years - who is going to be the Voice, how will they take issues forward.
"Once we have sorted that out, the government will pass the legislation," Mr Chapman said.
In the hands of non-Indigenous
Mr Stewart said Aboriginals make up three percent of the population and "97 percent of the population are voting on us.
"It is about how many white fellas we can convince to vote yes," Mr Stewart said.
Ms Cornforth said there are 45,000 volunteers for the Yes campaign knocking on 100,000 doors every day.
"They are spending three minutes on average with non-Indigenous people to get them to a point they say this is a very moderate ask."
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