Treaty & Constitutional Change (Recognition)
Call for a Treaty Spanner in the Works of Recognition Bid
There is much confusion surrounding constitutional recognition for Aboriginal people, which adversely affects its momentum and likelihood of success. Setting a deadline for a question is one way to regain the momentum.
Hopefully with a deadline, a question will emerge so that people will know exactly what it is they will be deciding on.
Change Attitudes, Not the Constitution
The constitution was recently mentioned in a national Indigenous publication.
Specifically, former Australian of the year, Mick Dodson, was quoted as saying that he wants the constitution to acknowledge that Australia was taken without the consent of Aboriginal people. With that claim, I thought it might be appropriate to consider the debate about whether or not the
constitution should be changed to respect the wishes of some Aboriginal people.
Recognition May Mean Never Closing the Gap
I need to start by describing what this chapter is not about. Invthe hypersensitive, politically correct climate in which we live, it is sometimes necessary to commence this way. When discussing Aboriginal matters there seems to be no end to where offence can be taken and accusations of racism made. This chapter is not about opposing the proposition that Aboriginal people be recognised as Australia’s first people, nor is it about preventing Aboriginal people
from embracing, practising, or celebrating what could be considered Aboriginal ‘culture’.
Originally published in the Connor Court publication 'Recognise What?'
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