Constitutional recognition for aboriginals

[bennymacca]

http://ab.co/1ffrx83

Interesting article on Australian politics in general, but also about the push for constitutional recognition of aboriginals.

I, for one, can't see what the big deal is? All they are proposing is an amendment to recognise them as the first peoples of Australia. What is so wrong with that?

[dedja]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

[Booney]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Not me. Welsh heritage, 3rd generation Australian. Done nothing wrong.

[bennymacca]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Not me. Welsh heritage, 3rd generation Australian. Done nothing wrong.

so then it wouldnt matter to you if aboriginals were recognised as the first australians?

it is not an amission of guilt (that has happened when rudd said sorry), rather an admission that australia didnt start when europeans rocked up

cant for the life of me work out why that is even an issue

[Booney]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Not me. Welsh heritage, 3rd generation Australian. Done nothing wrong.

so then it wouldnt matter to you if aboriginals were recognised as the first australians?

it is not an amission of guilt (that has happened when rudd said sorry), rather an admission that australia didnt start when europeans rocked up

cant for the life of me work out why that is even an issue

Absolutely not to the first and I agree 100% with the second.

*I didn't read the link, to be honest, just had my 2c worth.

[bennymacca]

fair enough. does pay to read the articles though

[Mr Beefy]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Not me. Welsh heritage, 3rd generation Australian. Done nothing wrong.

so then it wouldnt matter to you if aboriginals were recognised as the first australians?

it is not an amission of guilt (that has happened when rudd said sorry), rather an admission that australia didnt start when europeans rocked up

cant for the life of me work out why that is even an issue

didnt rudd apologise for forcibly removing children, ie stolen generation?

[bennymacca]

"on their past mistreatment.... in particular those who were stolen generations"

so yep, but i think it was also intended as a more than that

http://australia.gov.au/about-australia ... us-peoples

[Psyber]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Not me. Welsh heritage, 3rd generation Australian. Done nothing wrong.

I'm quite comfortable with recognition of their being other peoples here before white settlement in 1788.
However, I feel no responsibility for any ill-treatment of our predecessors here, being barely "Australian" myself - except by birth.

My mother landed here in 1923 from Yorkshire, and my father's folks came from Cornwall in the 1890s and trace back before that to Scotland.
So, my family had no involvement in anything that happened here prior to that...

(However, there are Viking ancestors on both sides of the family and they may have done a few bad things to others back in Europe a few centuries earlier.)

[tigerpie]

Nothing wrong with it all ... except it would the highlight that British were illegal immigrant boat people. Oh, hang on ...

Some of your finest work right there Dedja hahaha.

[mrjbeam1981]

Hi guys.

For more information check out www.recognise.org.au

There are two things that this body is pushing for

1. Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first Australians in our constitution
2. And repealing two race clauses in the constitution - section 25 which permits states to disqualify people of a particular race from voting in state elections, and section 51(xxvi) which empowers the commonwealth parliament to enact 'special laws' applicable solely to specific races.

Cheers

JB

[Psyber]

Hi guys.

For more information check out http://www.recognise.org.au

There are two things that this body is pushing for

1. Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first Australians in our constitution
2. And repealing two race clauses in the constitution - section 25 which permits states to disqualify people of a particular race from voting in state elections, and section 51(xxvi) which empowers the commonwealth parliament to enact 'special laws' applicable solely to specific races.

Cheers

JB

It all makes sense in broad terms but there may be complications of preventing "special laws".
For example, how does a government then legislate to provide extra funding to enhance Aboriginal health and education as part of any "catch up" policy?

I guess it could be done under provision for "disadvantaged" citizens, but that would then broaden the scope and cost...