2023 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{use Australian English|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 2023 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election

| country = Victoria

| flag_image =

| type = parliamentary

| ongoing = no

| election_date = {{Nowrap|13 May – 3 June 2023}}

| elected_members =

| previous_election = 2019 Victorian First Peoples' Assembly election

| previous_year = 2019

| next_election = ????

| next_year = Next

| registered = 7000+

| turnout = ~4200 (~60% of enrollment, ~10% of voting age population)

| seats_for_election = 22 seats elected
10 seats appointed

}}

The 2023 First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria election, advertised as the 2023 Treaty election, was held June 2023 to elect 22 members to the First Peoples' Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. The election filled 22 of 32 seats to the body, which was charged with the responsibility of negotiating a treaty between the state's government and its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in Victoria and at least 16 years of age were eligible to enroll to vote in the election - a population around 45,000.{{cite web|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-peoples/census-population-and-housing-counts-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander-australians/latest-release#victoria|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|title=Census of Population and Housing - Counts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians|date=2021|access-date=28 July 2023}} Compared to the previous election in 2019, enrollments more than tripled from ~2000 to ~7000.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/meet-the-freshly-elected-people-who-will-get-treaty-done-in-victoria-20230616-p5dh6s.html|publisher=The Age|date=18 June 2023|access-date=28 July 2023|title=Meet the freshly elected people who 'will get treaty done' in Victoria}} Between the 2019 and 2023 elections, there was 2 by-elections held to fill vacant seats after 2 resignations.

The election had 75 candidates across 22 regional seats. 10 from the metropolitan region (where most of Victoria's population lives), and 3 each from the Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast regions. A further 11 reserved seats were appointed by local Registered Aboriginal Parties within Victoria. 90% of eligible voters did not participate in the election.

Aside from making a treaty with the Victorian Government on behalf of the First Peoples of Victoria, other priorities of the Assembly will be advocating for reform to Victoria's bail laws and raising the age of criminal responsibility in the state.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/18/raising-the-age-a-priority-for-newly-elected-first-peoples-assembly-of-victoria-leaders|title=Raising the age a priority for newly elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria leaders|work=The Guardian|date=18 June 2023|access-date=28 July 2023}}

According to The Assembly website the Assembly will also take a lead role in administration of the Self Determination Fund provided by the Victorian (Labor) Government. Up to $200,000 is available to successful applicants to assist in negotiations, what role the Assembly plays in approving and monitoring the distributions is unclear, presumably strong conflict of interest rules will be applied in dispensing taxpayer provided funds.