The first thing to say about the election is that if there’s a change of government, Australia could well end up with a Minister – or Assistant Minister – for the Republic. What a great result that would be! The shadow ALP Minister for the Republic is Matt Thistlethwaite MP representing a seat in suburban Sydney. There could be a new joint federal parliamentary committee charged with examining continuous constitutional change as recommended by the Joint Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs after its Inquiry into Constitutional Reform and Referendums (reported December 2021). Women for an Australian Republic gave evidence to the Committe; several recommendations in our submissions were picked up.
In addition, while most republican campaigners led by WfaAR now acknowledge that the country cannot vote on a Republic without being a Reconciled – or, at least, a rapidly Reconciling – Republic, Indigenous leaders have again today called for a referendum to enshrine The Voice to Parliament in the Constitution, along with Treaty (making) and Truth (telling). After promising this, the Coalition Government 2019 to 2022 failed to deliver and little has been achieved on this matter during the 46h Parliament with the Coalition preferring to a) legislate The Voice and b) push action out of the federal jurisdiction and onto the States and Territories with little to see thus far. Read more on the link below: [“Indigenous leaders say ‘it’s time for a referendum’ on First Nations Voice to Parliament” by Kirstie Wellauer, ABC Online, 11 April 2022)
