The NSW Premier’s office is hiring an executive director to lead the government on ‘truth and healing’ in the wake of the failed Voice to Parliament referendum.
The role is reserved solely for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander candidates, and commands a salary of up to $339,000.
A newly posted advertisement for the role says the successful candidate will be ‘responsible for enshrining the voice of Aboriginal people in strategy, plans and programs’ in government.
‘This role will focus on leading truth telling to embed healing and celebrate culture.’
Despite Australia’s resounding rejection of a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament, this high level government role will be in charge of ‘developing an incubator team for future reform initiatives’ surrounding ‘truth, treaty and Voice’.
Truth, treaty and Voice are the three pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. While the Voice was considered the first avenue to pursue, the ‘culmination of the agenda’ is actually the development of treaty and truthtelling mechanisms.
The NSW Premier’s office is hiring an executive director to lead the government on ‘truth and healing’ in the wake of the failed Voice to Parliament referendum
The role is reserved solely for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander candidates, and commands a salary of up to $339,000
NSW Premier Chris Minns has now been accused of trying to ‘implement this by stealth’ by Prue Macsween – against the wishes of the Australian public.
Dugald Saunders, leader of the NSW Nationals, told 2GB’s Ben Fordham he only learned about the role when the program alerted him to it on Thursday, and said it appeared a particularly short recruitment window.
The job advertisement was posted on October 20 and closes on November 12.
Australians took to the polls on October 14 and voted against a Voice in the constutition 61 per cent to 39 per cent.
Throughout the campaign, treaty and truth was one of the key drivers of concern within the general public, as was the lack of information about the scope of the advisory committee.
Mr Saunders warned the short application window could indicate the department ‘had people in mind’ for the role, and pointed out the salary would be more than what some ministers earn in the Minns administration.
Australians took to the polls on October 14 and voted against a Voice in the constutition 61 per cent to 39 per cent
Truth, treaty and Voice are the three pillars of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. While the Voice was considered the first avenue to pursue, the ‘culmination of the agenda’ is actually the development of treaty and truthtelling mechanisms
‘It’s a very odd time to be appointing an Executive Director for Truth and Healing when we’ve just had a referendum which was a very definitive answer,’ he said.
‘The Premier has mentioned nothing about this at all.
‘At the moment, cost of living is everything. Truth-telling and healing, at the moment, is not what to focus on.’
READ MORE: Lidia Thorpe’s five point treaty and truth vision
Back in August, a similar job advertisement from the Victorian government and exclusively revealed by Daily Mail Australia sparked outrage, and a warning shot from Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price that the hefty salary could be an indicator of what was to come with the Voice committee.
The role – Deputy Secretary of the First Peoples State Relations Group – would provide executive leadership and strategy to the Victorian Government to create practical solutions to emerging policy issues
Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people were strongly encouraged to apply for the role, which will be a fixed term of up to five years
Then-premier Dan Andrews’ department advertised a role helping to advance treaty and truth-telling in Victoria with a whopping remuneration package of up to $533,431.
The role – Deputy Secretary of the First Peoples State Relations Group – would provide executive leadership and strategy to the Victorian Government to create practical solutions to emerging policy issues.
The advertisement described the work as an ‘exciting opportunity to be a part of progress related to First Peoples cultural rights, land justice, self-determination, treaty and truth’.
The successful candidate would earn a total remuneration package of anywhere between $410,018 and $533,431, depending on their experience and negotiations.
Victoria is relatively advanced in treaty discussions, the furthest along in Australia after beginning the formal process in 2016.
Even still, insiders say the state is at least 10 years away from finalising any treaties or reaching a resolution.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
