Parliamentary scrutiny and insights for a First Nations voice to Parliament

How effective are current parliamentary human rights scrutiny processes in protecting Indigenous human rights? Are there better ways to implement procedures to ensure that law and policy making about Indigenous rights is fairer than in the past?

The Uluru Statement from the Heart calls for a constitutionally guaranteed First Nations voice to have mandated input into law and policy making processes with respect to Indigenous affairs. This chapter considers how current parliamentary scrutiny processes work and discusses the lessons relevant lessons that might apply to the implementation of a First Nations voice to Parliament.
The chapter explores some contemporary federal examples whereby the existing parliamentary scrutiny processes have been inadequate in ensuring Indigenous peoples an effective say in the political decisions about their rights, and suggests that a First Nations voice in laws and policies with respect to Indigenous affairs would be a significant improvement on the current situation. The chapter also draws lessons from existing parliamentary scrutiny procedures to inform the design and processes of a proposed First Nations Voice to Parliament.