Nova Peris links new race act to referendum LABOR’S first indigenous MP, Nova Peris, has accused the federal government of condemning the referendum to acknowledge indigenous Australians in the Constitution “to failure” by pursuing changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. Senator Peris said that by pursuing the repeal of 18C of the act the government was actively undermining efforts to build support for changing the nation’s guiding document. “Indigenous Australians are devastated by the federal government’s decision to tell Australians they have the right to be racial bigots in public,” she said. “George Brandis wants to take Australia into the past. If the Prime Minister truly believes that constitutional recognition is a forward-looking, unifying movement, he must get rid of the changes to 18C. “Anything less will condemn the referendum to failure.’’ Section 18C makes it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate on the grounds of race, colour or ethnicity. Under draft proposals, the government would replace 18C with provisions making it unlawful to vilify or intimidate others on similar grounds, but with broad exemptions. The Australian has spoken to a range of indigenous people who share Senator Peris’s view . Senator Peris vowed to fight for more money in next month’s budget to be allocated to a bigger awareness campaign for the need to change the Constitution to acknowledge Aborigines. Her call comes as new polling revealed half of all Australians were aware of the push to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution — up from 31 per cent 18 months ago. Labor nominated Senator Peris as deputy chairwoman of the joint select committee on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, working for cross-party support on the words that should take. The committee chairman, Liberal indigenous MP Ken Wyatt, is understood not to support more money being committed in the budget. He believes the question must be drafted before more resources are put into a campaign. He also has reservations about changes to 18C. A 22-member panel has already proposed the Constitution be altered to cut racist sections and to create a power for the “advancement’’ of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and the protection of their language and culture. It also called for a clause against racial discrimination. Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten used Australia Day to reaffirm their commitment to advancing constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians. The Prime Minister said recognition was a “national crusade’’. “It is very important to me, it is very important to the indigenous people of our country and it should be very important to all of us who want to see our country whole,’’ he said.
Posted on: Fri, 11 Apr 2014 00:40:12 +0000
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