Indigenous Aussies 'should vote for their own senators'

Indigenous Australians should be able to elect Indigenous senators, a human rights lawyer says.

Geoffrey Robertson QC told Living Black presenter Karla Grant that Australia lags behind other countries when it comes to recognising the rights of Aboriginal people.

“Other countries have acknowledged rights of Indigenous people in far more satisfactory ways,” says Robertson.

“I've always believed that the best way to [recognise their rights] is to allow Indigenous people to vote for their own representatives; to have Australian senators elected by the Indigenous community.”

Under New Zealand's mixed member proportional (MMP) system, which was introduced in 1867, seven seats are reserved for Māori members who are elected through a separate Māori electorate roll.

In a special edition of Living Black, Robertson said he would like to see more Aboriginal leaders be a part of Australia's Parliament.

“Whether it's Noel Pearson or Marcia Langton, Larissa Behrendt or Mick Dodson, or any of those people would seem to me to be far more impressive and dignified.

“We could be really proud if they were Senators and a part of the governing of Australia.”

While Australia has come a long way, especially with the launch of the nation's first free-to-air Indigenous channel this week, Robertson says we still have a long way to go. He believes 'true equality' will only start when there is constitutional recognition of Indigenous people.

“[We've] still got a way to go before we can compete with other countries and before we can honour international law which requires that Indigenous people have rights.

“It's not enough to throw money at what it's seen as 'Aboriginal problems'. You have to begin by giving Aboriginal people true equality,” he says.

“You have to start by recognising them in the Constitution, by recognising the amount that they have given to Australians.”