What is your full name?
Sonya Matthews
What is your postal code?
2305
Do you support recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by changing the Constitution or making some other kind of legal change?
Yes
What should the change look like?
Recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are the first people of Australia. Remove any and every statement about race with regards th O the first people from our Constitution.
Should we have a statement that acknowledges the First Peoples of Australia?
Yes. This should be in the Constitution.
Where is the best place to put it?
At the start
What should the statement say?
That the Australian nation was brought about from the blood of all people in its history. That the first peoples long and cooperative relationship with the land has been beneficiall to the country as it stands today.
Do you have any other comments on a statement about the First Peoples of Australia?
They need to be allowed to be themselves in their own country!
Should the word 'race' be taken out of the Constitution?
Yes
Should the Australian Parliament keep the power to make special laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
No
Do you have any other comments on powers to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
No
Do you think that a guarantee against racial discrimination should go into the Constitution?
Yes
Do you have any ideas about what words to use for that guarantee, or where in the Constitution to put it?
No
Should the guarantee protect all Australians against racial discrimination, or only Indigenous Australians?
All Australians
If there is not enough support for a guarantee in the Constitution, what other things can we do to stop racial discrimination in national laws?
Research how race hate affects the people concerned.
Do you have any other comments on changing the Constitution to stop racial discrimination?
Just take it out & in future people will not refer to it!
Do you think Indigenous people should have a say when Parliament and government make laws and policies about Indigenous affairs?
Yes
Should a new Indigenous group be set up under the Constitution to give advice and make sure Indigenous people have a voice in political decisions that affect them?
Yes
Is it worth creating the new group if it can only give advice and does not have the power to block new laws?
I don't know
Do you have any ideas about what the new group would look like?
Elected by aboriginal people
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
Fairness
Is there any point in keeping it?
No
Do you have any other comments?
This should have been done many years ago.
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual