PLEASE SHARE WIDELY.
There is much talk about the proposal there should be established a separate consultative body in the Parliament of Commonwealth of Australia to represent the peculiar interests of persons having some degree of "Aboriginality" in their racial or social makeup.
In 1967, Australians voted by way of a Referendum to change the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia to include native Aborigines in the census. The operative word here was "native". Persons who possessed Aboriginal genes but worked a normal job and paid taxes were not classed as "native" Aborigines. They were viewed as being Australian citizens and were entitled to everything that citizenship conferred. When you listen to the likes of Albanese, you could easily gain the impression these persons were discriminated against. In the majority of cases, this was not the case and should that have ever happened, those persons were entitled to seek redress through the law.
But there was a "gotcha" inserted in that 1967 Referendum that was, at the time, seemingly innocuous and which was never debated as it should have been, being a Referendum proposition. That change involved the Federal Government being able to make laws specifically for native Aborigines. This was a racist clause and should never have been entertained. Australians agreed to it believing that native Aborigines living on reserves and missions were in peculiar circumstances and therefore needed separate laws to cover that situation. It was never thought at that time the Federal Government would seek to make laws specifically for persons with an Aboriginal background living a modern lifestyle with all other Australians.
Once agreed, the Whitlam Government changed the definition of what constituted an Aborigine by firstly dropping the qualifier, "native", and then allowing virtually anyone who was regarded as being an Aborigine to be classed as an "Aborigine". The Federal Government then, over a number of years, instituted a comprehensive welfare system that was racially biased; favouring this group within Australian society - a group that has come to be known as "Tick-a-box Aborigines".
How then to undo the corrosive effect these insidious changes have done to societal cohesiveness and the Australian economy?
Simple!
There should be a second proposition put to the Australian people, just as there were two propositions in the 1967 Referendum. The second proposition should read:
"That the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Australia be amended to explicitly state:
'No Government nor any Government Agency within the Commonwealth of Australia may discriminate, either positively or negatively, on the basis of a citizen's race or gender. To this end, all citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia shall be guaranteed equal treatment under all laws and regulations and be entitled to the same Government welfare and community benefits as their circumstances may require.' "
If anyone disagrees with this suggested change to the Australian Constitution, please let me know at kevinl@kevinloughrey.com.au
