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How Should The Australian Constitution Be Changed

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Recommended: Discrimination of first nations

Today Australia prides itself on being a place of fairness and equity for all its citizens. But the Australian Constitution still does not recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians as the first people of this land. Importantly, we now know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their cultures form part of the longest culture on Earth and evidence of their presence in Australia is now dated back over 60,000 years. It is only right that modern Australia should recognise and acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture - past and present - in our Constitution to record their valued place as part of this country and our national identity. Most of the states - Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia have already amended their Constitutions to formally recognise Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians as the first people and nations of their jurisdictions. …show more content…

5. Why should the body of the Constitution be changed? When it came into effect in 1901 the Australian Constitution contained several specific references that allowed governments to discriminate against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. The most glaring discrimination occurred in: Section 51 of the Constitution that provided: “The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:- ...(xxvi) The people of any race, other than the aboriginal people in any State, for whom it is necessary to make special laws. And Section 127 stated: 'In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the

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