What is your full name?
Shaun Edwin Reynolds
What is your postal code?
6326
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?
Changing the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Islander peoples as the first occupants of this land and remove any form of discrimination (section 25).
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?
The Constitution is the basis of Australian identity and as such should acknowledge the circumstances of the formation of the nation which was dependant on the dispossession of Aboriginal peoples.
What should the statement say?
The statement should not just recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians, after all Australia did not exist prior to British settlement, but should recognise thier sovereign rights and connection to the land.
Do you have any other comments on a statement about the First Peoples of Australia?
The statement should acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first inhabitors of this land and put them and thier unique culture at the forefront of the Nations identity.
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?
Australian laws should not have negative discriminatory powers over Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people.
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?
'Citizens of Australia will not be discriminated against on the basis of ethnicity'. This should form part of a section that recognises the multi-ethnic makeup of the Austraian population.
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?
Maintain strongly worded anti-discrimination legislation at the federal level.
Do you have any other comments on changing the Constitution to stop racial discrimination?
It must happen if we as a nation are going to mature and move away from our colonial past which was based on the idea of racial supremacy.
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?
Yes
Do you have any ideas about what the new group would look like?
Consult with Aboriginal and Torres Islander People
Do you have any other comments on this Indigenous group?
The group should be inclusive and representative of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
Inclusivity and social justice
Is there any point in keeping it?
No
Do you have any other comments?
The constitution should define a fairer, inclusive and enlightened nation.
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual