Telethon Kids Institute says yes to "The Voice"

The Board of the Telethon Kids Institute gives its full support for a First Nations Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in Australia’s constitution.

As a research organisation that works closely in partnership with Aboriginal communities to improve child health and development, the Institute has a long-standing commitment to listening and responding to the community’s priorities and respecting Aboriginal governance.

There is ample evidence from our own research, and others, that First Nations peoples have better outcomes when they are actively involved in decision making.

Our Founding Director and Patron Professor Fiona Stanley with Indigenous leader and academic Professor Marcia Langton describe a powerful example around our COVID response in the Guardian.

We believe that establishing a Voice to Parliament will, over time, have a direct impact on the health, development and aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children and young people.

In our Strategic Plan, “Up for the Challenge”, the Institute undertook to prioritise our partnerships with Aboriginal families and communities to improve the health and development of Aboriginal children and promised that “we will not ignore, nor accept, the continued disparity in outcomes for Aboriginal Kids compared with other Australians.”

The principles are outlined in our Commitment to Aboriginal Children and Families 2020-2023. The Institute’s Standards for the Conduct of Aboriginal Health Research outlines our process for working in genuine partnership with Aboriginal peoples and communities.

We encourage our staff, students, and all those who work with us and support us, to develop a deep understanding of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, understand the different positions, and to make an informed choice. 

We understand that, as within the rest of the Australian community, there is a diversity of views among our Aboriginal staff and colleagues, and we acknowledge the personal impact on them as this national conversation progresses. They have our unwavering support.