URGENT NEED FOR CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION
AUSTRALIA is the only Commonwealth nation that does not have a treaty (or treaties) with its Indigenous peoples and is now potentially delaying progress to change our constitution and give Indigenous Australians a voice to Parliament. Committee for Geelong CEO Jennifer Cromarty believes there is no doubt that this process is vital for our country and must continue.
“While it is acknowledged that Constitutional Recognition of First Nations people in our country is vital, it is understood that this may not be an easy or fast process. There is, however, strong support from Australians to make the change and Geelong can play a leading role in calling for this change,” Ms Cromarty says.
In 1967, more than 90 per cent of Australians voted ‘yes’ to change the Constitution to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Census reporting and provide the Commonwealth with the power to make laws for ‘the people of any race for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws.’ This referendum also removed some constitutional discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples but fell short of properly and respectfully recognising ATSI peoples as First Nations Peoples.
‘The Uluru Statement from the
Heart’, released after a four-day convention on May 26, 2017, sought the redress of constitutional discrimination. The First Nations National
Constitutional Convention, attended by 250 delegates who came from ‘all points of the southern sky’ to meet on the lands of the Anangu people, near Uluru, in Central Australia, called for the establishment of a First Nations Voice:
“We seek constitutional reforms to empower our people and take a rightful place in our own country;
“When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish. They will walk in two worlds and their culture will be a gift to their country;
“We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution.”
The Committee for Geelong stands ready with Wadawurrung to continue calling for constitutional recognition and asks our community to do the same. We ask the people of the Geelong region to join us and walk together with First Nations people to build a better future.