Australia moves to right wrong

ABORIGINES: NOT RECOGNISED IN CONSTITUTION Prime minister, opposition meet with indigenous leaders to discuss changes and the timing of a ‘recognition referendum’.

Australia moved closer to recognising Aboriginal people in its constitution yesterday after talks with indigenous leaders, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said as he urged an end to the “echoing silence” in the founding document.

Written more than a century ago, Australia’s constitution fails to mention Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people and a campaign has been under way for several years to “recognise” the continent’s first inhabitants via a referendum.

“I am confident that the time is right to move down this path,” Abbott said after unprecedented bipartisan talks in Sydney with about 40 indigenous leaders and opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten.

“I think that there is an abundance of good will. I think we are good enough, big enough and brave enough to do this, but it is important we get it right.”

Abbott praised Australia with its indigenous heritage, British foundation, and multicultural character but said: “What we now need to do is to end that echoing silence in our constitution... the omission of indigenous people.”

Debate on the content of the changes has already begun, and Abbott said he was ruling nothing in or out, but that both he and Shorten were committed to holding a recognition referendum.

“Based on today’s discussions, we consider that the referendum could not be held before the next term of parliament and should be outside the politics of the election cycle,” they said in a joint statement.

“We agree the referendum should be held when there is the best possible chance of success.”

Aboriginal leader Pat Dodson called yesterday’s discussions “historic and terribly meaningful” while Kirstie Parker, from the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, said the meeting had been constructive.

“We believe this process must bring about substantial recognition, we don’t believe that symbolic change is enough,” she said after the talks. –