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In support of the Voice to Parliament
Aug 28, 2023
A Resolution of Support from the Brisbane North PHN Board of Directors
Central to the 2017 Uluru Statement of the Heart was the recommendation to establish a Voice to Parliament. The Voice has been endorsed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across our nation since, and in this year's referendum all Australians will be asked to vote on whether to enshrine the Voice into our Constitution.
Brisbane North PHN’s Board of Directors value the broad spectrum of opinions on an issue that is sensitive and deeply personal.
The Brisbane North PHN Board acknowledges the Jagera, Turrbal, Gubbi Gubbi, Waka Waka and the Ningy Ningy people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet, work and learn. We believe recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be included in the Constitution and support the proposed Voice to Parliament.
Brisbane North PHN’s Board recognises that First Nations people must be consulted about proposed laws, policies and systems that affect them, across all domains of their lives – cultural, social, economic, and those related to health. We are committed to supporting and enabling culturally responsive, inclusive and partnership-centred solutions and models of care that uphold their unique rights. We are committed to listening to, meaningfully engaging with, and strengthening First Nations voices.
Over 20,000 people in our region identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. A large proportion of these people are living in the most disadvantaged areas of our region – particularly in Caboolture, Morayfield and Deception Bay (Brisbane North PHN's Innovate RAP).
We believe that establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice will help to address this societal and systemic disadvantage, and move towards health equity for First Nations people.
As a PHN, we have already incorporated the importance of working towards health equity into our own Performance Framework. We are proudly part of a consortium of all south-east Queensland PHNs and Hospital and Health Services who have partnered with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health to implement a joint Health Equity Strategy aimed at achieving parity of health outcomes for First Nations people by 2032.
Our work to improve the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region is further guided by our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). As part of our current Innovate RAP, Brisbane North PHN committed to "acknowledging our responsibility to ensure self-determination for First Nations peoples" – endorsing the Voice to Parliament is a natural step in doing so.
This statement has been issued on behalf of the Brisbane North PHN Board of Directors. Download the statement.
Learn more
Brisbane North PHN encourages our staff, stakeholders and broader community to learn more about the Voice to Parliament by consulting the below resources:
Read the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Access the Voice Community Toolkit, developed to support you to "prepare for the conversation."
Learn more about why people are supporting the Voice, why some are choosing not to, and why some are proposing another way.
Brisbane North PHN is committed to reconciliation, and to improving the health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region:
Find out more about our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing initiatives.
Read our latest Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.
Learn about the Metro North Health Equity Strategy.
