Bardi Jawi man Martin Sibosado has long been advocating for Aboriginal people across Western Australia's Kimberley region to have a greater say and influence on decisions made by parliament.
As the Voice to Parliament referendum draws near, Mr Sibosado and other prominent Indigenous people from northern WA have shared the issues they want to be brought to the forefront if Australian voters back the voice proposal.Mr Sibosado has long advocated for increased access to education and employment in Aboriginal communities, particularly those on his home country on the Dampier Peninsula, 200km north of Broome.
"On a daily basis, why have programs gone wrong, and delivery, a $30 billion annual spend by government, not determined by people?" Mr Sibosado said.He said government policies were not successful in Aboriginal communities because they failed to acknowledge cultural practices that existed long before Australia was settled.
"This is always said, it's always raised — we're doing this, doing that, but there is no real commitment," Ms Humphries said. "It is those impacts of those people not being able to get a job, stay within their job, it decreases their access to education," she said.Ms Humphries says a lack of sustainable services for drug and alcohol abuse in Derby is leading to a cycle of disadvantage.In the community of Wangkatjungka in the Central Kimberley, Tony Uhl said people faced a lack of access to basic necessities such as clean water, wi-fi, and medical supplies.
Mr Uhl said a Voice to Parliament could allow people in Wangkatjungka to advise the government and ensure money was better spent.In Broome, Nyamba Buru Yawuru chief operating officer Taliah Payne said mental health access in regional areas, particularly for young people, was in a dire state.Yawuru, Nimanburru and Djugun woman Taliah Payne says mental health should be a front and centre issue if a Voice to Parliament is created.