Discussion paper response

Kathryn Grace Warren
What is your full name?
Kathryn Grace Warren
What is your postal code?
2026
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?
Express recognition of them and removal of any discriminatory provisions.
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 very beginning/the preamble before Section 1
What should the statement say?
I think that is something for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to answer but probably something along the lines of acknowledging that they are the First Peoples of Australia and the significance of their relationship with the land and environment. Ac
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?
I am not an expert obviously and I am open to learn more about this but I just don't think it's appropriate - it assumes that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the same needs, that they are "all the same", which to me seems ignorant an
Do you think that a guarantee against racial discrimination should go into the Constitution?
I don't know
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?
We need to review legislation that already deals with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and check whether that is already discriminating against them in the same way that say section 51(xxvi) seems to discriminate.
Do you have any other comments on changing the Constitution to stop racial discrimination?
I don't think that express reference to racial discrimination in the Constitution is consistent with the themes and structure of the Constitution. It may be a case of reviewing laws that already exist and considering whether they discriminate, ensuring th
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?
At a minimum, there must be a representative from each state/territory perhaps even every major tribe. They should have the power to influence the law (i.e. not just advise) based on a majority within the group.
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
We preserve the basic principle of equality, which is that every Australian must have the right to vote.
Is there any point in keeping it?
No - it facilitates discrimination. The process of becoming Australian should be rigorous enough to prevent people who do not share our Australian values from becoming Australian and gaining the right to vote.
Do you have any other comments?
The history of this provision (in excluding Aboriginal peoples) is also quite offensive. It should be removed in its entirety.
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual