Linda Burney says politician-free zone at Uluru convention a 'wise' decision

Wiradjuri woman and Labor frontbencher, Linda Burney, believes the decision to have a politician-free zone at the Indigenous constitution convention at Uluru is ‘wise’.

Linda Burney

Labor frontbencher, Linda Burney, has been appointed Shadow Minister of Preventing Family Violence Source: AAP

This will be the first time an Indigenous designed and led constitution convention has been run and MPs believe they should stay away to not hamper the outcome.

"I think it is a wise decision to have it as a politician-free zone, which means that the people can discuss without any impediments what might be possible," Ms Burney said.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten have respectfully declined invitations to attend the closing ceremony of the four-day convention next week.

The convention follows 12 regional dialogues that have rejected the idea of purely symbolic recognition. The dialogues also favoured change in the form of an Indigenous voice to the national Parliament on racial discrimination.

More than 300 delegates will attend the convention in the Northern Territory, against three of the biggest milestones in Indigenous history: 50 years since the 1967 referendum, 25 years since the High Court's Mabo decision and 20 years since the Bringing Them Home report on the forced removal of Aboriginal children.

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Published 18 May 2017 1:51pm
Source: NITV News


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