Constitutional reform is important to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities

In this update, we highlight the positive health outcomes that can be achieved when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are listened to. We have also pulled together several conversation guides and tools to help organisations and individuals understand more about the upcoming referendum and to hold effective conversations. There are also links to a small rapid grant round and resources to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health during the referendum period, and links to health sector media coverage.

NACCHO: A Voice written into the Australian Constitution together with the National Agreement on Closing the Gap is the best way to improve living conditions and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Pat Turner CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) states, “A Voice and recognition of Indigenous Australians is critical if there is going to be long term sustainable improvements to health outcomes for our peoples. Currently programs and policies are at the whim of whoever the Minister is and the senior executives of Government Departments.” 

“During COVID we were fortunate that our voices were listened to by the then Minister and Dr Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Department of Health. There were no deaths of our peoples from COVID in the first 18 months and vaccinations and antivirals were allocated taking into account the level of burden of disease is 2.3 times that of other Australians.” 

“More recently, Minister Butler has supported our submission to address cancer in our communities. While the mortality rates have been declining for non-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people for at least two decades, there has been an uptrend in cancer mortality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.” 

Read the full statement.

Conversation Guides and learning tools

In response to discussions with the Hepatitis Australia membership, we have pulled together several useful conversation guides and tools to help organisations and individuals understand more about the upcoming referendum and how to hold effective and safe conversations. 

Passing the Message Stick Conversation Guide: A practical toolkit to guide your conversations about transformative change on First Nations justice, now and beyond the referendum.

Passing the Message Stick is a groundbreaking multi-year First Nations-led research project designed to shift public narrative in support of First Nations justice and self-determination. The project is led by a steering committee of Dr Jackie Huggins AM, Larissa Baldwin-Roberts, Millie Telford and Kirsty Albion.

Australian Human Rights Commission: Minimising Harm in Conversations about the Referendum.

Too often, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the subject of national debates that cause direct and indirect harm.  In a democracy, it’s important that people can express their opinions on key issues, especially those of great national importance. However, it is crucial that these conversations are approached in a way that is factual, is not based on racial stereotypes, does not involve racially denigrating language, and does not cause harm to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This is particularly important when discussing issues that disproportionately affect certain individuals and communities, such as the referendum for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament. 

This Human Rights Commission resource kit provides information and practical tips to engage in conversations about the referendum in ways that minimise harm, including: practicing cultural humility; centring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, voices and perspectives; and avoiding deficit discourse. 

Other conversation guides: 

Learning Tools:

Resources in different languages:

The First Peoples Disability Network have also developed Easy Read Uluru Statement interpretation.

Rapid Grant Round to elevate the voices and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocates.

The Australian Communities Foundation has opened a First Nations Rapid Response Referendum Grants Round supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to campaign and organise for a resounding Yes in the upcoming Referendum and elevate the voices and leadership of First Nations advocates.

Find out more

Connection. Strength. Resilience. Voice Referendum: Social and Emotional Wellbeing Resources for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

The National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet have launched a portal that brings together a collection of resources aimed at supporting and reducing social and emotional harms to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the period prior and post the Voice referendum

Visit the portal here. 

Read the media release.

You can also read this article by Dom Barry is a Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara man and a provisional psychologist. In this article he aims to support the emotional and social wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people during the Voice campaign.  

Read the article 

Respectful allyship

Traditionally, Em Randall, a Yaegl woman said allyship has involved creating space for people with lived experience - and not making decisions or speaking for them.

"A referendum is asking the non-Indigenous majority to make decisions on behalf and for an Indigenous minority, and that can be very uncomfortable for an ally," she said.

"But we need our allies now more than we do ever. This is a statistical game ... representing three per cent of the population, we need our allies to get educated, get informed."

Read more here.

More ideas on how to demonstrate allyship:

  • Implement leave days for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and non-Indigenous staff too, which helps reduce the burden on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
  • Support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to engage in self-care, including the freedom to ‘opt out’ of conversations, meetings and processes.
  • Provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff with access to Elders who can have a yarn and create safe spaces.
  • Allow employees to take as much cultural leave as they need.
  • Sign the Respectful Referendum pledge.
  • Read and distribute conversation guides (see above).
  • Read and share information about social and emotional wellbeing support (see above).

Health sector media coverage

Croakey Health Media has compiled a valuable list of articles and resources surrounding the Voice to Parliament.

Croakey Health Media reports: “The voices of the health sector have not been loudly heard in mainstream media coverage of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament.

“It’s probably a fairly safe bet that most Australians (and perhaps also most journalists) would not realise the breadth of the sector’s support for the Voice, with Croakey’s portal recording more than 35 health and medical organisations have issued statements of support.”

To provide a platform for collective health discussions, Croakey is hosting two online #CroakeyLIVE webinars – from 5-6pm AEST on Monday 25 September, and 5-6p, AEDT on Monday 9 October.

See the full Voice to Parliament portal here.

You can read Hepatitis Australia’s statement here.

On 18-19 September, several Hepatitis Australia staff attended the Walk for Yes organised by Yes 23.  

Together we can make history.

Authorised by C Fowlie, Hepatitis Australia, 4/6b Thesiger Ct, Deakin ACT 2600.

Published:

Updated:

Author: Grace Hogan

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