Victoria Passes Australia's First Indigenous Treaty Legislation

The Victorian parliament has made history by passing Australia's first-ever treaty legislation with its Indigenous peoples. This landmark law establishes a framework for negotiating formal agreements between the state government and Aboriginal Victorians. The new legislation creates a representative body, known as the "First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria." This group will act as the voice for Aboriginal communities during all future treaty negotiations. Following the vote, Assembly co-chair and Gunnai-Gunditjmara man Marcus Stewart highlighted the occasion's significance with a touch of humor. He remarked, "Yesterday Victoria signed a Treaty. Today the sun is rising, so I guess it didn't cause the end of the world." The comment underscores the momentous step forward while dismissing past fears about such agreements.