I find it disheartening to read some of the negative (and at times doomsaying) letters about the forthcoming Referendum, so would like to add my perspective for some balance.
I think it is fair to say most people do not yet know a lot about it.
To this I would say to readers, that as with any referendum, educational material will come to help you understand and decide.
At this stage, we know the question to be put to us.
This is it:
A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
Do you approve this proposed alteration?
As a non-indigenous person trying to listen, learn and understand, this is my personal understanding: In respect of ‘recognition’ we are at a historic point that follows decades of advocacy for constitutional recognition of our first people, with their 60,000 year plus history of caring for and governing this land.
The government has accepted the recommendations of the bipartisan Referendum Council (set up in 2015 under Turnbull) whose extensive ongoing work has led to this point, including the proposed wording for the Referendum.
Their ‘dialogues’ with indigenous peoples around the country culminated in the 2017 National Constitutional Convention at Uluru.
As expressed in the ‘Uluru Statement from the Heart’ , what was seen as truly meaningful and substantive constitutional recognition was to enshrine a Voice to the Parliament in the constitution.
The exact wording for the Constitution, if it is a Yes vote, is being worked on now by a joint parliamentary committee that is taking submissions, with a vote anticipated in June.
So there is a way to go.
But for those who want to learn more now there are many excellent websites, both government and community (eg the Referendum Council) and a YES 23 campaign website for those who would like to understand and follow the YES campaign.
– Ms Michelle Daly
Gympie
