Voice to Parliament

MEDIA RELEASE: ETC’s position in relation to a Voice to Parliament

Enterprise and Training Company (ETC), a leading provider of employment, training, and business services, is proud to announce its corporate position to a Voice to Parliament:

ETC considers enshrining a Voice to Parliament in the Australian constitution to be a positive first step towards the achievement of the reforms proposed by the Uluru Statement. We welcome the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to join other Australians in establishing a body with representation guaranteeing the right of our First Nations peoples to be actively consulted and heard on matters and issues pertaining to them in their own local, regional, and remote communities.

ETC’s Acting CEO Damon Munt said the not-for-profit company hoped that supporting this movement would help make a positive impact on the lives of First Nations people.

“ETC is committed to promoting reconciliation throughout our services and the ways we engage with the community. We wish to contribute to creating a fairer and more equitable society in our regions of operation and support the resolution of Reconciliation Australia and the Australian Government to contribute to “Closing the Gap” – particularly in our core business areas of employment, training, and business growth,” said Mr Munt.

“However, we value everyone’s opinion, in particular our staff. Our aim is not to persuade others decisions, rather to educate our staff and local community members.”

Mr Munt explained that in the lead up to this position statement being released, ETC’s Board, Executive Team and Indigenous staff shared resources and even ran an internal Q&A panel with their 420 employees to foster conversations.

“It’s been great to see so many of our staff engaging in this, submitting questions, and asking for more information. We’ve outlined what the Voice actually means and the impact it could have,” he said.

ETC’s Indigenous Services Manager Ceharnie Martin said she felt proud to work for a company that values improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“One of the ways that we set to achieve that goal is through our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). We are passionate about embracing the three key RAP values of Respect, Opportunities and Relationships for everyone who engages with ETC regardless of their race, religion or socio-economic background. The RAP is one of the ways in which we achieve our Vision and Mission and live by our values,” Ms Martin said.

“Our RAP helps us to remain innovative about working together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and communities to achieve our RAP vision for there to be an end to the disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.”

View ETC’s Reconciliation Action Plan here >

Find out more about Voice to Parliament here >