Teal Independent MP Zali Steggall first electoral office in Australia to adopt reconciliation action plan
Teal Independent Zali Steggall hopes other MPs will follow her example.
Zali Steggall’s electorate office is the first in Australia to adopt a reconciliation action plan, the independent MP says, reflecting her seat’s strong support for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Almost 60 per cent of the teal MP’s Sydney electorate of Warringah backed the ‘yes’ campaign that was defeated in a referendum in 2023.
Ms Steggall will launch the reconciliation plan on Friday at her Manly electorate office, starting with a smoking ceremony.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“I’ll certainly be encouraging my colleagues to engage in this process, especially my independent colleagues, where we had overall fairly strong support for the referendum for the voice,” she told AAP.
“For many in our community, there was a strong sense of despondency and disappointment in the national result, so the question was how do we keep progress in reconciliation going locally.”
The plan sets up commitments across parliamentary advocacy, policy development and community engagement to provide a model for how MPs could embed reconciliation into their work, Ms Steggall said.
Elected members had a responsibility to ensure they kept First Nations people at the heart of their advocacy because legislation passed in parliament had an impact on their lives, she said.
The plan was based on listening to First Nations’ voices, truth-telling about Australia’s history, advancing justice and self-determination, and recognising more than 65,000 years of custodianship, Ms Steggall said.
The plan aims to build relationships with Aboriginal communities, embed cultural awareness and create pathways for First Nations participation, including internships and work experience.
Benjamin McGrory, a Cammeraygal man who helped develop the plan, said he hoped to see opportunities for Aboriginal students to gain internship experience in public policy and parliamentary representation.
“On the national stage, I hope this will lead to practical action from other members of parliament to commit to reconciliation.”
