Video transcript
[Instrumental music plays in the background over opening titles and fades out]
[Opening title card: Victoria State Government]
[Second title card:’Aboriginal self-determination seminars 2016’]]
[Thirdtitle card : ‘Reforming the system to support Aboriginal self-determination’]
Male narrator WAYNE MUIR: So if we want to talk about self-determination, and we want to talk about listening to us in terms of the ‘project build’ for want of a better term, or we’re invited to participate in a new way of doing things, and the department’s prepared to listen to our self-determining views in this space, then it has to permeate through the department. It has to work through all levels to work and to be successful. And it’s a win-win for all of us, because if we achieve the things that we say we can achieve, and we believe we can, then the positive spin of that is that you guys look good too.
[Onscreen, animation entitled: ‘Wayne Muir – CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service’]
Female narrator ANNE CONGLETON:AT all times we must be focusing on the outcomes that we are trying to achieve here so there will be times when there are obstacles or there are challenges we must persevere to make sure that when we get to that end goal of better outcomes for Aboriginal people and communities this is going to require us to think in a different way to push through barriers when we see those coming with that eye to what the end outcomes are all about.
[Onscreen, animation entitled: ‘Anne Congleton’, Deputy Secretary, Community Participation Health and Wellbeing, Department of Health and Human Services]
Male narrator: ANDREW JACKOMOS: Great work has happened with the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency, a great beacon in our community but we weren’t having that self-determining conversation across the state with Aboriginal communities and their representative organisations, and this is fundamental to self-determination.
[Onscreen, animation entitled: ‘Andrew Jackomos PSM, Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People’]
Female Narrator LARISSA BEHRENDT:One of the things that we see in our work around the country around aspirations for self-determination is that many Indigenous people see probably the right level of self-governance for them at the regional level - it’s not local, it’s not state-based,it’s not national but it’s regional.
[Onscreen, animation entitled: ‘Director of Research, Larissa Behrendt, Professor of Indigenous Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney’]
Female Narrator MURIEL BAMBLETT: Victoria’s model of child welfare is an example of a move towards self-determination in practice. All human rights principles though are abstract concepts which need to be implemented in their local contexts, applied to local needs, applied to local Aboriginal people. We believe a treaty or self-government agreement that binds government, including government departments to certain principles and measures, would give us the legal framework to control our own affairs in child welfare, based on our own agenda, our priorities and our timelines. It is about changing the legislation. It needs to be resourced to be realised and implemented. We need to work with the state government and others who will help us move ahead in our work in our respective arenas, and strengthen our collective action that exemplifies self-determination.
[Onscreen, animation entitled: ‘Professor Muriel Bamblett – CEO of Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency’]
Male narratorANDREW JACKOMOS: With the Andrews government, come into power with self-determination as a plank in their policy platform is a fundamental shift for thei government as well as any other government in this nation. For me there is a direct linkage between recognition, the treaty and self-determination. Wherever a Koorie come into contact with the justice system we need to be there. We need to be there in a positive manner, from a policy officer, to the prison officers, to inspectorates, our oversite bodies, we need to be there.
[Instrumental music fades in over the closing titles]
[Closing title card: :’Aboriginal self-determination seminars 2016’]
[Second closing title card: Victoria State Government]
[Third closing title card: Authorised by the Department of Health & Huma Services. 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne]
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Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place, Melbourne.
© State of Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, March 2017
Available on the Influencing Policy: Why Self-determined Outcomes Matterpage
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