Quarterly Essay 90: Voice of Reason - On Recognition and Renewal

Why a First Nations Voice to Parliament is a ‘constitutional moment’ that offers a new vision of Australia

This essential Quarterly Essay seeks to do two things: to make the strongest, clearest possible case for the Voice to Parliament. And to draw out the significance and the promise of this reform – what it could mean for recognition and justice.

Megan Davis presents the Voice as an Australian solution to an Australian problem. For the First Nations, it is a practical response to ‘the torment of our powerlessness.’ Davis argues that it will increase accountability across a range of areas, from Juukan Gorge to youth detention to child protection. She shows that we have arrived at a ‘constitutional moment’ that brings with it a new vision of Country and community.