We need a strong voice in parliament', says Warrnambool elder

But he said giving Aboriginals a voice in parliament is something that is "long overdue".

Mr Lowe said he was sick of hollow promises from politicians. "They promise these things but we always seem to get left in the background, so to speak," he said.

"We're just pushed aside."

Mr Lowe said he was disappointed by the lack of action following Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's formal apology to the Stolen Generations on February 13, 2008.

"We need a strong voice - at this stage we don't have a strong voice," he said.

"There are a wide range of issues that need to be addressed right across the board."

Mr Lowe said he was haunted by memories of witnessing children taken away from their parents while living on the Framlingham Reserve. "We were probably among the lucky ones, but the things I saw still haunt me," he said.

Mr Lowe said he was pleased that there had been a move towards organisations in Warrnambool giving Aboriginal members of the community the chance to share their stories.

"You still experience racism but things have changed in Warrnambool in the past five years," he said.

"There are a lot of organisations that are inviting us to share our history and our stories and that has never happened before."

Mr Albanese made it clear he was committed to advancing the Uluru statement in his victory speech on Saturday night. "We will, of course, be advancing the need to have constitutional recognition of First Nations people, including a Voice to Parliament that is enshrined in that constitution," he said.

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