What is your full name?
John Frederick Edwards
What is your postal code?
2478
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?
It should acknowledge the unique place our first peoples had prior to white settlement and indicate the diverse nature of their culture and the importance of country.
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?
In a preamble to the laws but having the same weight as a law.
What should the statement say?
That they cared for this country before white settlement for thousands of years and were spread across the whole of the continent. Their unique place should be honoured and respected particularly for the way they survived and controlled this harsh enviro
Do you have any other comments on a statement about the First Peoples of Australia?
That should be sought from Aboriginal people themselves.
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?
The commonwealth should have the power to make laws for all or some of its people but to single out one group suggests they are different. If they are disadvantaged then that should be attended to like any other similar group.
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?
Australia is a country of diverse people from all over the globe. We guarantee the right of all people to be free from discrimination because of their physical appearance, their religion, their culture or their sexual orientation.
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?
Inroduce a Bill of Rights.
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?
A council made up of the widest possible range of Indigenous groups with one representative appointed to be the spokesperson to goverenment.
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
Remove something which is abhorent and should never have been there.
Is there any point in keeping it?
No.
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual