Victoria's First Peoples' Assembly Elections: A New Chapter

0:00It's April 4th. This is Sydney News Today, driven by AI. Victoria's first people's assembly is running its first elections for the new Gelleng Warro body, marking a big step after the state's treaty with. Traditional owners last November. 70 candidates are vying for seats across five regions, Metro, Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast. This statutory group won't make laws, but will advise ministers, question them on First Nations issues, and push reforms like history curriculum. Updates, community grants, dual naming places, and local treaties. Victoria stands alone as the only Australian state to actually sign a treaty, while others have stalled a reverse course. New South Wales and the ACT are just talking. Tasmania dropped it, but kept truth-telling. South Australia has a voice to Parliament plus treaty plans. But Queensland and the Northern Territory scrapped theirs recently. Americans are bringing real-lived experience to the table, like Gunai Gundichmara, Man Andrew Thorpe, son of Senator Lydia Thorpe, who quit his, 20-year construction gig last

1:05Friday, to campaign full-time in the Southeast. He's a marathon runner and mental health advocate. Then there's Yorda Yorda's Jarvis Ackinson in the Northeast, with his background in justice and homelessness, focused on kids reconnecting with, culture, and Metro hopeful, Mariki Onis, former policy-head stressing sovereignty. Opposition leader Jess Wilson and the Liberals vowed to ditch the treaty in their first 100 days if they win the state election this November, pushing instead for a new body reporting to one minister. Assembly co-chair in Garamurie calls that the old-failed model of outsiders deciding for first nation's people. Voting kicked off on March 21 and runs to April 12, with Gellung Whirl starting work in May. This could reshape how Victoria listens to its original owners, putting their voices in front and center for real change.