Voice to Parliament

In the spirit of our Walking Together as First and Second Peoples, and as an expression of the Uniting Church’s commitment to justice and reconciliation, the Covenanting Committee brought a proposal relating to The Voice to Parliament to the Synod meeting.

In the Preamble to the Constitution of the Uniting Church we speak of the covenant relationship into which we are called as First and Second Peoples and that ours is ‘a destiny together, praying and working together for a fuller expression of our reconciliation in Jesus Christ.’

Affirming the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and calling for a First Nations Voice to Parliament is an expression of the Uniting Church’s engagement in the process of covenanting and healing. We hear Jesus calling us into the light of a new shared community, based on justice, love and mutual respect for one another.

Rev Mark Kickett, Interim National Chair of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress notes: ‘The Uluru Statement is an invitation given by First Nations People to the people of Australia. A constitutionally enshrined Voice will shape and guide the relationship between First and Second peoples in this country by enabling our people to have a say in the decisions that impact our communities … In the same way the 1967 Referendum brought Australians together, this is an opportunity for all of us to unite in a big way as we seek to restore justice and promote healing for First Nations people in this land.

At the Synod meeting it was resolved by agreement that the Synod supports the establishment of a First Nations Voice to Parliament.