2019 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election

In June 2018 the Victorian Parliament passed legislation to create a framework for negotiating a treaty with Aboriginal people. The legislation was supported by the Labor Government and the Greens, though not by the two opposition parties, the Liberal and National parties.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/22/victoria-passes-historic-law-to-create-indigenous-treaty-framework|title=Victoria passes historic law to create Indigenous treaty framework|work=The Guardian|date=22 June 2018}} The legislation included provisions to create an Aboriginal representative body and its implementation was overseen by the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission chaired by Jill Gallagher.{{cite web|url=http://victreatyadvancement.org.au/about-commission|title=About the Commission|work=victreatyadvancement.org.au|access-date=8 October 2019|archive-date=14 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191014005418/https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/about-commission|url-status=dead}} The lead-up to the vote was not without controversy, as it occurred amidst the Andrews Labor Government's planned duplication of the Western Highway near Ararat. The duplication plans included a proposal to disrupt a cultural site with trees sacred to Aboriginal people in the area. A protest on the steps of Parliament House included protesters with signs saying "no trees, no treaty".{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-10/western-highway-sacred-trees-protesters-in-melbourne/11495432|title=Western Highway sacred trees protest comes to steps of Victorian Parliament|work=ABC News|date=10 September 2019}}

The Assembly was filled by 32 representatives, the majority of which were elected in five regions; 9 from Melbourne region, 3 from Western Victoria region, 3 from North-Western region, 3 from Northern region, and 3 from Eastern region. A further 11 seats were reserved for formally recognised Traditional Owner Groups.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-06/historic-aboriginal-victorian-treaty-assembly-voting-underway/11574078|title=Victorian treaty vote for First Peoples' Assembly delivers a different kind of state election|work=ABC News|date=6 October 2019}} 73 people nominated for the Assembly and approximately 30,000 people were eligible to vote. To vote, eligible voters were first required to enrol online and provide evidence of identity, age and residence.{{cite web|url=https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/vote/|title=Vote|work=First Peoples Victoria|access-date=8 October 2019|archive-date=8 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008052152/https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/vote/|url-status=dead}} Voting opened on 16 September and closed on 20 October 2019, and voters could cast a ballot online, by post or at one of 43 polling booths across Victoria.

Once elected, the Assembly was not responsible for negotiating a treaty or multiple treaties with the Victorian government on behalf of Aboriginal clans and nations. Instead the Assembly's primary responsibilities were to:{{cite web|url=https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/first-peoples-assembly-victoria|title=First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria|work=Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission|access-date=8 October 2019|archive-date=11 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611192554/http://victreatyadvancement.org.au/first-peoples-assembly-victoria|url-status=dead}}

• Establish the Treaty Authority – an independent umpire in the negotiation process
• Establish the Treaty Negotiating Framework – a body who set the ground rules for negotiations and authorised who may negotiate on behalf of certain people/clans
• Establish the Self-Determination Fund – to support Aboriginal communities to be on an even playing field with government when treaties are being negotiated

The 21 elected candidates were announced on 4 November 2019.{{cite web| url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-05/victorian-aboriginal-treaty-assembly-elected-what-happens-next/11650520| title=Victorian Aboriginal voters have elected an Assembly to advance the treaty process. So what's next?| last=Dunstan| first=Joseph| date=4 November 2019| website=abc.net.au| access-date=8 November 2019| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108052441/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-05/victorian-aboriginal-treaty-assembly-elected-what-happens-next/11650520| archive-date=8 November 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/results-first-peoples-assembly-victoria-election| title=Results: First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria election| date=7 November 2019| website=victreatyadvancement.org.au| access-date=8 November 2019| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108052820/https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/results-first-peoples-assembly-victoria-election| archive-date=8 November 2019}} Seven days later the commission announced the 11 people appointed by formally recognised Traditional Owner groups (termed Registered Aboriginal Parties or Traditional Owner Corporations) to a reserved seat on the Assembly.{{cite web|url=https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/more-aboriginal-leaders-appointed-first-peoples-assembly|title=More Aboriginal leaders appointed to First Peoples' Assembly|work=Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission|access-date=27 November 2019|archive-date=29 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229004235/http://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/more-aboriginal-leaders-appointed-first-peoples-assembly|url-status=dead}}

The first meeting of the Assembly took place on 10 December 2019 at Parliament House, Melbourne.{{cite web|url=https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/self-determination-arrives-centre-colonial-power-structure|title=Self-determination arrives at the centre of a colonial power structure|work=Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission|date=31 October 2019|access-date=2 November 2019|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102012754/https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/news/self-determination-arrives-centre-colonial-power-structure|url-status=dead}}

;Elected members

;Reserved seat holders

One seat unfilled, because the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation were entitled to appoint a member but did not do so. Seat holders may have ancestry from multiple First Nations.

Two by-elections were held for the assembly before the 2023 election.{{cite web |title=Gunditjmara Elder Charmaine Clarke elected to First People's Assembly |date=April 2021 |url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/7184911/gunditjmara-elder-elected-to-first-peoples-assembly/ |publisher=The Standard}}{{cite web |title=Treaty north-east by-election candidate elected |date=17 April 2022 |url=https://www.sheppnews.com.au/news/treaty-north-east-by-election-candidate-elected/ |publisher=Shepparton News}}

• Indigenous treaties in Australia

{{Noteslist}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.firstpeoplesvic.org/ First Peoples Victoria homepage]
• [https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/ Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission homepage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102012756/https://victreatyadvancement.org.au/ |date=2 November 2019 }}

{{Victorian elections}}

{{Indigenous rights footer}}

Category:Elections in Victoria (state)

Category:Indigenous Australian politics

Category:2019 elections in Australia

Category:2019 in Victoria (state)