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The recent process the ACT Government undertook to hold Treaty discussions with one family group with connection to the ACT and Surrounds is a disgraceful act of discrimination and prejudice. It has long been public knowledge that there are at least three distinct groups with connections to the ACT. No effort was made by the ACT Government to engage with the other two groups on the same terms. To have undertaken that process without undertaking

First Nation Party supports the call by the ACT Council of Social Service and ACT Shelter for more Aboriginal community-controlled housing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT.  Namely: However, this must be done in clear recognition of the fact that there are several different Aboriginal communities in need of housing in the ACT, and the policy and program response must recognise their differing needs. The local Aboriginal peoples have been sharing

All land in the ACT is Aboriginal land. Always was. Always will be. The Aboriginal people of the ACT were not consulted when the Federation was formed in 1901. The Aboriginal people of the ACT were not consulted when the site for the National Capital was selected in 1908-10 and when NSW transferred the land to the Commonwealth in 1911. The Aboriginal people of the ACT were not consulted when the Commonwealth granted the ACT

The ACT Government recently announced a review of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. This announcement comes as no surprise given the voter turn-out for the most recent election was less than it has ever been. Indeed, the ACT Auditor-General last year (C Times 19 Aug 2023) predicted that the body would become “ineffective” due to low voter turnout. The ACT Elected Body is an anachronism of past misunderstandings and deliberate confusion,

The First Nations Party announced today that if elected, they would pursue a policy of creating a modern, respectful, and inclusive coat of arms and flag for the Australian Capital Territory as well as ensuring that the City of Canberra’s coat of arms is displayed only with one black swan and one white swan, as intended. The new coat of arms and flag would be decided by a survey and ballot of ACT residents. Paul

The First Nations Party announced today that if elected, they would change the Australia Day Public Holiday in the ACT, and introduce two new public holidays. The dates would be decided by a survey and ballot of ACT residents. Some possible dates include the Winter Solstice (21 June), Federation Day(1/2 January), NRL Grand Final Day (from 12 pm), Sacrifice/Services Day, Summer Solstice (21 December), Christmas Eve (from 12 pm), and New Year’s Eve (from 12

The First Nation(s) Party has announced a revolutionary election policy to return full control of all Crown Nature Reserves in the Australian Capital Territory, including inside City limits, to local First Nations people. This policy marks a bold step toward dismantling colonial legacies and restoring the rightful ownership and stewardship of Indigenous lands. The Key Points of the Policy: Restoration of Sovereignty: The policy mandates the transfer of full control and rights of all Crown