Larissa Behrendt writes that the campaign for constitutional recognition has stalled in the absence of a model. Unlike the republic, she says, this one needs a model to debate. She continues: “People will not vote YES for things they are unsure about, and are rightly suspicious of agreeing to things they do not know the details of. In relation to recognition many people want to know what they are signing up for. The better approach would be to put a model on the table that can be championed by both major political parties, underpinned by a “hearts and minds” campaign to convince enough Australians that it is the best way to go”. Sounds pretty similar to the republic campaign to WfaAR. [“Recognition for Indigenous Australians is not like the republic. We need a model to debate” by Larissa Behrendt, The Guardian online 30 January 2015 – link below]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
