“Constitutional conservatives”, who appear to be all white males opposing any change to the Constitution, now propose that there should be a “declaration” recognising the place of our First Peoples in the nation’s history and culture. This would be decided after a national competition, voted on and used at national, civic and religious events. It will sit outside the Constitution and have no legal force. The day the declaration is adopted is to be a national public holiday. This concept is supported by Noel Pearson as a “breakthrough” because he thinks the current proposal to abolish the race clause in Section 7 of the Constitution is a recipe for conflict throughout the community although he made it clear that the declaration would have to complement constitutional recognition. He says that this idea should be debated by a series of Indigenous conventions. Reaction was, understandably, cautious. [“Support to recognise Indigenous Australians” by Michael Gordon, Fairfax, 14 April 2015]
Woman for an Australian Republic, Adelaide Ironside, republican poet and artist 1831-1867
Self portrait 1855, Newcastle Art Gallery NSW
