Newly appointed Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt from WA, announces at the National Press Club in Canberra that the Government intends to hold a referendum on Indigenous Recognition within this term, so by 2022. This is one of the first major announcements made by the Coalition Government since winning the election in May. The reaction was immediately positive despite coming with powerful qualifications such as the likelihood of its success. However, after two days the expected nay-saying voices, eg the IPA and Pauline Hanson, were in the ascendant and the Prime Minister himself entered the fray and said he did not support a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. It quickly became evident that the devil is in the detail and it was very unclear what the details are – because, at this stage, there aren’t any – as well as the proposed “model” for Recognition, legislatively prescribed Voices and so on. Republicans were not surprised: they have heard all of this before. Shame such discord was being piled on so quickly and on such an important issue, one that needs to be resolved before we embark again on an inclusive and reconciled Australian Republic. Interestingly, the Minister describes the Republic as “having gathered substantial dust” after its failed referendum and added that he doesn’t want Recognition to go the same way. Read the speech on the link below<\/p>\n\n\n\n