The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) is calling on the Allan Government to halt its rush to permanently enshrine a First Peoples’ Assembly in the Victorian Parliament and its Treaty process until proper public consultation has taken place.
ACL Victorian Director, Jasmine Yuen, said: “As Christians, we care deeply about the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians. But this Treaty risks trapping Indigenous communities in life-long dependency instead of truly ‘closing the gap’. It entrenches racial division and threatens to fracture our State.”
The Dangers of Allan’s Treaty:
- Undermines democracy by creating a permanent Indigenous Assembly, fundamentally altering the structure and process of Parliament.
- Cripples the state budget, pushing Victoria closer to financial crisis and burdening struggling families.
- Forces sweeping, unconsulted changes, including:
- Rewriting Australian history and reshaping school curricula.
- Imposing a separate education framework for Indigenous children that risks undermining their academic success.
- Granting racial privileges, renaming places, and erecting memorials focused on past grievances.
- Enforcing Indigenous quotas on boards of companies and government agencies.
- Demanding churches hand over land or share land sale profits.
“In consultation with Aboriginal academic Dr Anthony Dillon, I’ve come to realise that the challenges faced by Indigenous Australians are not fundamentally different from those faced by non-Indigenous Australians. There are countless Indigenous leaders, professionals, and parliamentarians who are thriving. The real ‘gap’ is not between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians — it is between those Indigenous Australians who are succeeding and those who are still struggling.”
Former Northern Territory MP Alison Anderson has also called for “real education, real jobs” — not separatism or victimhood — insisting that Indigenous Australians must be treated like everyone else (In Black & White, p.351).
Yuen continued, “The truth is hard to ignore: ‘separatism’ disguised as self-determination does more harm than good. Allan’s State Treaty will not empower the Indigenous community. It will instead make every Victorian worse off.”
ACL Calls for Answers:
Before proceeding, the Allan Government must explain:
- How will this Treaty not undermine parliamentary democracy?
- How will separate schooling for Indigenous children close the gap?
- How will racial privileges reduce welfare dependence?
- How does an endless focus on past grievances build genuine reconciliation?
- Why push ahead when even Yoorrook commissioners split?
- How will it be funded without crippling Victoria’s finances?
The Australian Christian Lobby urges the Allan Government to listen to all Victorians and allow full public consultation before advancing Treaty legislation.
