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Constitutional Reform

Fred Chaney's absolute deceit – learn from the past and beware of "Recognise"

Fred Chaney made a career out of undermining First Nations' struggle for self-determination and he still promotes assimilation by leading our young people under the banner of 'Recognise'.

"In 1979, Fred Chaney committed a major illegal, immoral and unethical act against the Aboriginal Peoples of Aurukun, Mornington Island and Doomadgee when he, as the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, commenced a legal challenge to the Queensland Government's proposal to establish the Deeds of Grants in Trust (DoGiT's) for these communities. [node:read-more:link]

Constitutional recognition will do nothing for First Nations people

None of the recognition proposals confer any right on Aborigines to sue, nor do they impose any obligation on government to act, writes First Nations Activist, Michael Mansell.

"New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia have already recognised indigenous people in their state constitutions and the Federal Parliament passed the Act of Recognition in 2013. Not a single benefit to anyone has flowed from those measures, writes Michael Mansell, a Lawyer and First Nations Activist from Tasmania." [node:read-more:link]

The 'Great Silence' of Australian media fails the First Nations people

First Nations people were expressly excluded from voting in federal elections until 1962, they did not have full citizenship rights and were not counted in censuses until 1967 and were classed as "flora and fauna". Conversely, between 1949 and 1973 British citizens could enter Australia without a visa, access welfare and had the right to vote. British subjects on the electoral roll before a change in legislation in 1984 still have the right to vote without being a citizen.

Recognition Bill forced on First Nations people against their will

On 7 February, 2013 the Australian Senate will vote on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Bill 2012 despite overwhelming opposition to constitutional inclusion by the majority of Aboriginal people and the government's own acknowledgement that the proposed changes to the constitution would be rejected by a referendum.
This shows the paternalistic contempt that the Federal Government and politicians have for Aboriginal people has not changed in 112 years. [node:read-more:link]

Reconciliation, Nationalism and the History Wars

Reconciliation Australia

Reconciliation, Nationalism and the History Wars
A paper presented to the Australasian Political Studies Association Conference University of Adelaide
Dr Andrew Gunstone
Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies
Monash University
[node:read-more:link]

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