Indigenous Recognition Referendum Shelved

In a move that was strongly foreshadowed in a speech given by Attorney-General Nicola Roxon on 20 July, the Government announces that the referendum to recognise our First Peoples in the Constitution would be deferred in favour of an Act of Recognition (with a sunset clause) to be introduced into federal parliament by the end of the year.  Reasons cited were lack of community support (no doubt registered in the much favoured focus groups and telephone polling) and lack of Coalition support (the Opposition claims that only Tony Abbott as PM could carry the day, in yet another dig at Julia Gillard).  The Government forgot to mention its own lack of leadership on this issue having farmed out the work to Reconciliation Australia while providing no strong public supporters of its own. The proposed referendum on Indigenous recognition resulted from the agreement between the Greens and  the independents to assist Labor form government in 2010 [see also News of 26 January below]