The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has warned against “American-style division” surrounding the state’s nation-leading Indigenous treaty, ahead of negotiations beginning this month.
The First Peoples’ Assembly – Victoria’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin negotiating a statewide treaty with the Allan government in the coming weeks.
The assembly has publicly outlined ideas raised by Indigenous community members during consultations. These include dual naming of places, a public holiday to celebrate Indigenous culture and early access to senior cards.
The opposition spokesperson for Aboriginal affairs, Peter Walsh, told the Herald Sun on Sunday the government was commencing “secret treaty negotiations”.
Asked about the transparency of treaty negotiations on Sunday, Allan said all Victorians “deserve the information and the facts around how treaty is being negotiated”.
“Let’s not bring American-style division, any more, into our community. Let’s not create division,” she said.
“Let’s not bring this misinformation, disinformation, fake news information into something that is just so important.”
Allan said the “whole focus of treaty” was to work with First Nations people to improve equity of outcomes.
“That’s of a benefit to all of us. That creates a better, fairer, stronger society,” she said.
“You would really hope that any member of the Victorian parliament would want to be on a unity ticket about making a stronger, better, fairer society for all.”
A statewide treaty will tackle issues affecting all First Nations Victorians to improve outcomes like health and education.
Traditional owner groups will also be able to enter into separate treaties with the state about issues in their areas and priorities for their communities.
While giving evidence at the state’s Indigenous truth-telling commission in April, Allan stressed she would not pre-empt treaty negotiations before they began.
But she hinted at some reform the government would be open to pursuing if it was on the table. She said the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s findings could be embedded in the curriculum to ensure all children learned about the state’s past and about the inequalities that persist today.
Yoorrook is due to provide a final report to the state government, which will include recommendations for reform, before the end of June next year.
The Allan government faced backlash from the assembly, Yoorrook, Indigenous advocates and human right groups after it sought more time to consider major recommendations that would overhaul the state’s child protection and criminal justice systems.
