00:03For generations Aboriginal Victorians have called for their voices to be heard by those
00:09in the state's halls of power.
00:11Now after the signing of Victoria's treaty agreement, Aboriginal Victorians are about
00:17to take up their own seat at the table.
00:19Change has been happening behind the scenes for a long time and this is the most visible.
00:25The next step is deciding who takes up those seats.
00:28Aboriginal Victorians 16 and older are now voting to elect the treaty-backed First
00:33Peoples Assembly.
00:35We're getting like a leg in the door, foot in the door.
00:38While the assembly has existed since 2019, the treaty makes the Aboriginal body permanent
00:43and gives it new powers under an authority called Gelung Wal.
00:47The incoming assembly is made up of 34 members who serve four-year terms.
00:51Twelve of its seats are reserved for candidates appointed by traditional owner groups.
00:56Its remaining members are elected by Aboriginal communities across Victoria, representing
01:02regional and metro areas.
01:04This is a democratic process for our community.
01:07Our community will decide what's best for them.
01:09While the treaty assembly can't make laws, its members will be given new powers to question
01:15state ministers, give advice and oversee promises made.
01:19But the treaty project has never been more precarious, with the opposition pledging to tear up the
01:25agreement if elected in November.
01:27We do not believe the treaty is the right approach to delivering outcomes for First Nations Victorians.
01:33Despite the uncertainty, a raft of fresh faces are vying for an assembly spot.
01:38Our mobs have always worked in conditions of crisis and we're not going to stop now.
01:43Treaty implementation is going to be a big job and I'm up for it.
01:46It will also now be a full-time job, with successful candidates paid $198,000 a year.
01:53That's nearly as much as state MPs and double what members were paid in the old part-time structure.
01:58Others who served previously as assembly members are pushing for re-election to continue their work.
02:04I think people are afraid of what they don't know. My view is let's get it in place, let's
02:09show what it can achieve.
02:11We negotiated Australia's first treaty, but the real work will happen with the implementation.
02:15Voting wraps up in two weeks. The new assembly starts work in May.
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