The political economy of a Treaty: Opportunities and challenges for enhancing economic development for Indigenous Australians

Abstract

This article focuses on the issue of Indigenous Australian property rights and a Treaty. Using a political economy framework, I examine three issues: What mechanisms might provide more resource rights to Indigenous Australians? How effective have treaties with Indigenous people in the Torres Strait and New Zealand been? And what are some of the relevant issues that these two cases raise? I highlight the national benefit that might result from using ‘a treaty framework’ to enable sustainable Indigenous economic futures, while also warning about some of the hurdles that Australian political economy and institutions might present.