Mind Australia strongly supports a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
We believe that constitutional recognition and the opportunity to have a greater say in policies and programs that directly affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is essential for the healing and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities continue to experience disproportionately high rates of mental ill-health, suicide and lower life-expectancy.
We recognise that these experiences are interrelated with the ongoing impacts of dispossession, colonisation, intergenerational trauma and structural racism.
We understand that discrimination and marginalisation are interrelated with poorer mental health and service access, and that the experience of inclusion can vary greatly for people.