Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on Tuesday announced an in-principle statewide treaty agreement with the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, prompting criticism that the government is prioritising a landmark Indigenous accord over urgent community concerns about soaring youth crime.
Allan said the proposed treaty would give Aboriginal people greater say over services and improve outcomes, and that the agreement would create a new Indigenous body called Gellung Warl, which she said means "tip of the spear." She also used the press conference to address the fatal stabbings of two children in Melbourne's outer west, speaking publicly for the first time since the attack.
Friends Dau Akueng, 15, and Chol Achiek, 12, died after being ambushed by a group of masked men in Cobblebank on Saturday night. Allan said the deaths underscored the need to "do more," including working with police and "potentially looking at what more (could be done) by way of powers and laws that need to be provided." She did not provide immediate details of specific measures under consideration.
Opposition Leader Brad Battin accused the premier of misplaced priorities, saying parliament should focus on "keeping the community safe" rather than progressing treaty legislation. Battin pointed to a claimed $50 million cut to the police budget and said the treaty proposal amounted to reinstating the idea of a Voice to Parliament after the federal referendum defeat. A government spokesperson denied any cut, saying the police budget had increased.
Allan said the treaty would not take anything away from other Victorians and estimated the cost to establish and run the treaty body at $326 million between 2022 and 2028. The in-principle agreement follows nearly 10 months of negotiations between the state government and the First Peoples' Assembly and comes after the completion of a state truth-telling inquiry, the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
The commission's work concluded that the harms of colonisation persist, pointing to discrimination in child protection, justice, health, housing, education and political processes. The treaty document acknowledges ongoing discrimination and sets a mechanism for review: it would be examined every five years by an independent panel. But the 34-page settlement does not specify a redress scheme nor detail projected long-term costs to taxpayers, and it stops short of outlining precise reparations such as land restitution or monetary compensation recommended in some submissions to the inquiry.
The legislation to enact the treaty is expected to pass the lower house, where the Labor government holds a commanding majority. It faces a more uncertain path in the upper house, where passage will require the support of at least six crossbenchers. The state opposition withdrew its support for a statewide treaty in January after the failed national referendum to constitutionally enshrine a Voice to Parliament.
Public reaction has been mixed. Some commentators and community members praised the announcement as a necessary step to address historic and continuing injustices, and called for Australian history to be taught without omission. Others criticised the timing, saying the government should prioritise action on violent youth crime and housing pressures. Online posts cited anger at perceived disrespect for the federal referendum outcome and questioned the timing amid a recent spate of offenses.
Allan framed the treaty as a policy designed to improve services and accountability for Aboriginal families, saying, "All families are better off when they have a say over their lives. When they have responsibility over the things that affect them. Aboriginal families are no different." She said negotiations with the First Peoples' Assembly had reached an in-principle agreement but details and legislation would still be subject to parliamentary debate and further consultation.
The announcement arrives as Victoria grapples with rising concerns about youth violence and community safety, and as lawmakers and the public weigh the costs, scope and political implications of creating a formal treaty framework between the state and its Indigenous peoples.