Our mob's future isn't in our hands

The Australian government risked the lives of our brave soldiers despite knowing that the incumbent President, Hamid Karzai, had formed alliances with known warlords who, it is alleged, have committed horrific crimes against their own people; and despite the fact the Afghanistan population have become disillusioned with him after years of oppression against women, corruption, slow-moving economy, extreme poverty and escalating violence.

Oppression against women, corruption, slow-moving economy, extreme poverty and escalating violence - sounds familiar.

Yep - and the Northern Territory Intervention will remedy that problem back home!

But still the Australian government fully supported the right for Afghanistan people to vote for those they thought would best represent their future aspirations.

So why would the government and selected Indigenous leaders endorse a concept that doesn’t allow Indigenous Australians the right to cast a vote for the leaders they believe could best represent our future aspirations? And why insist on equal representation of women as a prerequisite for endorsement of this new model.

Do they really believe Indigenous women are incapable of acting responsibly and independently when voting in a secret ballot?

I believe our women have the right to be whatever percentage of a new representative body - as voted for by their people - be that 50, 60 or 70 per cent. Why limit them to just 50 per cent? Why is it necessary to have such draconian conditions for Indigenous Australians?

I would however support an elected Indigenous model based on the following:

• committees comprising three esteemed Indigenous leaders from each State and Territory, including the Torres Strait Island (nine in total), to produce a shortlist of 10 nominated delegates to stand for election from an open tender process;
• the Australian Electoral Commission to conduct elections for Indigenous people to choose their representative in each State, Territory and the TSI from the pool of 10 endorsed candidates;
• the nine elected representatives to become full time members and they alone vote on their executive;
• the new body would be elected every three years, to perform an advisory role to government only;
• the government would provide recurrent funding, including the establishment costs for a secretariat, as well as wages and on-going costs for delegate’s support staff.

Meanwhile, Calma’s proposed unelected model is fraught with danger and simply won’t work in its current form.