Laws that prevent people from voting, owning property or even working in certain professions on the basis of race are still permitted by our Constitution. Ours is likely the only country in the world whose Constitution still contains a ‘race power’ [section 51(xxvi)] which allows Parliament to enact racially discriminatory laws.

Today the Expert Panel appointed by the Government has handed down its final recommendations for recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution. This historic proposal for a Constitutional referendum would:

• Add a statement recognising the prior occupation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their unique and significant contribution to the life of this nation.

• Remove the ability of States and Territories to disquality people from voting on the basis of race (section 25).

• Remove the right of governments to make laws to the detriment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

• Create a new power to make positive laws with respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

• Add a new protection against discrimination on the basis of race, colour or ethnicity.

• Recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages as the original Australian languages.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite behind real change. It’s time to bring our Constitution into the 21st century.

Send a letter to key MPs and party leaders via this link

Hello Ozbods, online letters don’t seem popular in these parts, but just this once send anyway pls.??? Only takes a minute.

re: arguments that the ‘race power’ has existed since Federation and ATSI civil rights ‘happened’ anyway, so it’s to symbolic and irrelevant to invest resources in changing now;

• Symbolism is politically relevant.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights did not ‘happen’, they were fought for and are currently regressing in key areas e.g health, imprisonment rates.
• Conservatives can use outmoded racist powers like this to undermine contemporary ATSI rights advocates; by pressuring them into expensive, time consuming court battles over legal interpretations, draining resources from other goals.
• The NT Intervention proved that political will exists to revive and abuse this power. 
• Why defend hanging onto a ‘race power’ if it’s so irrelevant??

This week we’re looking at the role that Indigenous people have played and still play in Australia’s pastoral industry. As you might have heard, we’ve just marked the 45th anniversary of the Wave Hill walk-off. The anniversary was a celebration of the Aboriginal stockmen and their families, mainly Gurindji people, who in 1966 walked off Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory as a protest against work and pay conditions.

Their determination started a process that ended in bipartisan support for the recognition of the rights of Aboriginal people to land, fair wages and a brighter future for their children. The efforts of the Wave Hill stockmen and their families changed the lives of all Australians forever. They were typical of the men and women around Australia who contributed so greatly to the establishment of Australia’s pastoral industry. Seventy-five-year-old Herb Wharton is one of the old drovers who contributed so much. He was born in Cunnamulla in Queensland, where he began his working life as a drover, and he’s gone on to become a celebrated author and poet. He told Newslines’ Trevor Ellis about the importance of Indigenous men and women to the pastoral industry in the early days.

via indigenous.gov.au » Newslines Radio: Indigenous stockmen and women

A lot has changed since the Australian Constitution was written in 1901. Many Australians may be surprised to know that the Constitution — the basis for all laws and the political system — still includes the possibility for discrimination based on your race and ignores Australia’s first peoples and their role as custodians of the world’s oldest continuing culture. A constitutional referendum could change this, but first the government wants to engage Australians in a nationwide discussion. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to share your opinion on constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people.

Do you support constitutional change to recognise Indigenous peoples? Tell the You Me Unity Panel your thoughts and have your comment delivered to Government. Join the conversation and make your voice heard.

via Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Peoples: Have Your Say - The Petition Site

Oz followers: this wraps up in September, clicky click!

Cultural note:following has mention of an Aboriginal Australian person deceased last year.

March 31, 2010 — Indigenous and trade union activist Chicka “The Fox” Dixon (1928-2010) was farewelled by more than a thousand people in a state funeral in Sydney Town Hall today. Chicka was from the Yuin people whose traditional lands stretch along the south coast of New South Wales, from the Shoalhaven down to the Victorian border.

In the last of many tributes, fellow Black Power activist and 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy veteran Gary Foley noted the sweet irony of this official send off. “ASIO investigated the Fox for alleged ‘communist’ connections and alleged ‘terrorist’ connections and now the government is giving him a state funeral. I reckon Brother Fox is having the last laugh today.”

(via Victory)

On 27 May 1967 over 90 per cent of the Australian electorate did vote YES on the Aboriginal question. On the other question put, concerning the relationship between the number of senators and the number of lower house members, the voters said NO to the proposed change.

The size of the YES vote was vitally important. During the ten years of the campaign many laws had changed: discriminatory clauses had been removed from Commonwealth laws, and by 1967 Aboriginal people living in all states but Western Australia and Queensland no longer had their civil rights as Australian citizens curtailed by state laws. The huge YES vote would make it difficult for the government to ignore its new power.

It’s NAIDOC week. So happy NAIDOC. Especially if you have great hair or a natty sailor suit, compared to the weirdo white people also celebrating Aboriginal Australian’s attainment of civil rights.