A Voice to Parliament will be a "very, very significant step forward" for the nation but won't be a "panacea" for Indigenous disadvantage, according the former Labor chief minister who oversaw the establishment of the ACT's version.
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Jon Stanhope pointed to the rates of disadvantage in Canberra's Indigenous population, which he described as a "national disgrace", as he warned establishing an advisory body wouldn't automatically lead to better outcomes.
Weighing into the debate about the looming referendum to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution, Mr Stanhope expressed fear a lack of detail about the model would provide "ammunition" to the "no" campaign.
Similar concerns have been dismissed by the Albanese government and leading Voice advocates such as Tom Calma, who this week described the federal Liberals' demands for detail before the referendum had passed as "mischievous" and "illogical".
"I'm one of those people that is a little concerned at the ammunition that (a lack of detail) provides detractors of any particular Aboriginal-specific initiative," Mr Stanhope said.
"To say, 'we are going to do this and you just have to trust us' ... I think there's just some naivety in that."
Mr Stanhope spoke to The Canberra Times for an article looking at whether the ACT's version of the Voice had improved the lives of Indigenous Canberrans and what lessons can be learnt for the federal model.
As chief minister and minister for Indigenous affairs, Mr Stanhope spearheaded the establishment in 2008 of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body.
The move was in response to the Howard government's abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, a decision Mr Stanhope said he opposed at the time.
The ACT elected body is made up of seven part-time members who are elected every three years in a vote open to Canberra's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Whereas the proposed federal Voice would advise the Parliament and government, the elected body deals only with the government.
Its chair, Tanya Keed, and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Rachel Stephen-Smith described the elected body as "pivotal" in advocating for the rights of Indigenous people.
The elected body, which also holds annual estimates-style hearings to grill public officials, struck an agreement with the government which includes targets across 10 focus areas.
But it has its critics.
Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal health clinic chief executive Julie Tongs last year called for the abolition of the elected body, arguing it had become a source of division and no longer commanded the respect or support of the community.
She toned down those calls in an interview this week, but remains adamant major changes are needed to ensure the independence of the elected body, including banning public servants from sitting on it.
"I don't think that government employees should be allowed to be elected to a so-called elected body. It defeats the purpose. How do you stand up and advocate against your own department? It's a bit hard," she said.
Mr Stanhope, who works part-time at Winnunga and remains deeply passionate about Indigenous affairs, shares some of Ms Tongs' concerns about the elected body, particularly its independence.
While the merits of the elected body might be up for debate, Mr Stanhope said there can be no denying the rates of disadvantage in Canberra's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
In just one example, almost 30 per cent of inmates at the Alexander Maconochie Centre are Indigenous, despite Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people making up just 2 per cent of Canberra's population.
First Nations Canberrans are 21 times more likely to be imprisoned than non-Indigenous people, according to the prison inspector's latest review.
"Indigenous outcomes in the ACT are a disgrace," he said.
Mr Stanhope, a regular and vocal critic of the Barr government, said the government should be held responsible.
The ACT experience should demonstrate an Indigenous Voice to Parliament alone won't close the gap.
"(A Voice to Parliament) is an undeniable and inarguable positive. To provide the Aboriginal peoples of Australia with representation or a voice ... is a very, very significant step forward," he said.
"But it won't be a panacea.
"From where I sit, working in the community sector and with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, I look in the faces of Aboriginal people and I know how far we have yet to travel.
"For us to say 'isn't that beaut' we have a Voice to Parliament, we can all relax. Well, no.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the ACT government supports an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and would be "actively encouraging" Canberrans to vote Yes in the referendum.
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Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
