Not long now until the annual celebration of Australia as a nation state. It’s also not long before we have to endure the throngs of people covered in nationalistic symbolism, something that I thoroughly detest. For some though Australia Day represents invasion, destruction, displacement and surviving-against-the-odds, power, family and culture.
However, I won’t be discussing that issue in this post. This post will be different.
This Australia Day can be different.
It can be different in many ways, especially with the release of the You Me Unity report recognising First Australians in the constitution. The first most important way that this year’s Australia Day can be different is accepting the basis and premise of the report released by the You Me Unity panel. In accepting this important landmark report (though did we really need a report to tell us that we should recognise First Australians in the constitution?) we can begin to truly celebrate Australia Day as a day for everyone.
Australia Day 2012 can be different by re-starting a very important conversation across Australia about self-determination and recognition of First Australians, not just in the constitution but in the law. This is an important conversation that has regularly been side-tracked. Regularly, First Australians tell us the most important way for white Australia to help is to shut up and listen. We can do that and we can talk openly about an Australia we want that is for everyone.
I’m pretty certain that First Australians are more than happy to have such open conversations. But it begins with us listening first, talking second.
Unfortunately it didn’t take long for the nay-sayers to pop-up to commit to recognising Australia’s original inhabitants pre-invasion in the constitution, preferably the preamble, but nothing else; the ‘yeah-but-nah’ crowd as I like to call them. There seems to be a unison of calls to ignore the apparently more ‘radical’ elements of the You Me Unity panel’s recommendations [PDF]; most notably Recommendation 1, 2 and 4. These recommendations would remove Section 25 [allows for any race to be excluded from having their votes counted (from a State(s)) in federal elections if they're excluded in a State(s)]; remove Section 51 (xxvi) [it allows the Commonwealth of Australia to make laws that are racially discriminatory] and insert a new Section 116A [would deny the Commonwealth of Australia powers to make racially discriminatory laws].
Apparently it’s a problem for the ‘yeah-but-nah’ crowd to see an end to such elements enshrined in our constitution. Frankly it’s embarrassing.
Of course the yeah-but-nah crowd quote concerns about the legal situation and the possible destabilising affect on current programs. Of course they quote concerns about potential for legal claims for damages and compensation. All of which are bunk and needlessly distract the conversation.
Hence this Australia Day can be different by finally advocating for an end to the constitutionally enshrined discriminatory laws that have been imposed on First Australians.
Let us have a different Australia Day in 2012. This year lets recognise First Australians and accept the You Me Unity report.
Help support the national conversation about updating our constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture for the benefit of all Australians. Join You Me Unity today. Or sign up at Facebook.
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Let us have a different Australia Day in 2012
January 23, 2012 in Campaigns, Rants & Raves
Tags: Australia, Australia Day, commentary, constitution, First Australians, human rights, Indigenous Australians, personal opinion, You Me Unity
Not long now until the annual celebration of Australia as a nation state. It’s also not long before we have to endure the throngs of people covered in nationalistic symbolism, something that I thoroughly detest. For some though Australia Day represents invasion, destruction, displacement and surviving-against-the-odds, power, family and culture.
However, I won’t be discussing that issue in this post. This post will be different.
This Australia Day can be different.
It can be different in many ways, especially with the release of the You Me Unity report recognising First Australians in the constitution. The first most important way that this year’s Australia Day can be different is accepting the basis and premise of the report released by the You Me Unity panel. In accepting this important landmark report (though did we really need a report to tell us that we should recognise First Australians in the constitution?) we can begin to truly celebrate Australia Day as a day for everyone.
Australia Day 2012 can be different by re-starting a very important conversation across Australia about self-determination and recognition of First Australians, not just in the constitution but in the law. This is an important conversation that has regularly been side-tracked. Regularly, First Australians tell us the most important way for white Australia to help is to shut up and listen. We can do that and we can talk openly about an Australia we want that is for everyone.
I’m pretty certain that First Australians are more than happy to have such open conversations. But it begins with us listening first, talking second.
Unfortunately it didn’t take long for the nay-sayers to pop-up to commit to recognising Australia’s original inhabitants pre-invasion in the constitution, preferably the preamble, but nothing else; the ‘yeah-but-nah’ crowd as I like to call them. There seems to be a unison of calls to ignore the apparently more ‘radical’ elements of the You Me Unity panel’s recommendations [PDF]; most notably Recommendation 1, 2 and 4. These recommendations would remove Section 25 [allows for any race to be excluded from having their votes counted (from a State(s)) in federal elections if they're excluded in a State(s)]; remove Section 51 (xxvi) [it allows the Commonwealth of Australia to make laws that are racially discriminatory] and insert a new Section 116A [would deny the Commonwealth of Australia powers to make racially discriminatory laws].
Apparently it’s a problem for the ‘yeah-but-nah’ crowd to see an end to such elements enshrined in our constitution. Frankly it’s embarrassing.
Of course the yeah-but-nah crowd quote concerns about the legal situation and the possible destabilising affect on current programs. Of course they quote concerns about potential for legal claims for damages and compensation. All of which are bunk and needlessly distract the conversation.
Hence this Australia Day can be different by finally advocating for an end to the constitutionally enshrined discriminatory laws that have been imposed on First Australians.
Let us have a different Australia Day in 2012. This year lets recognise First Australians and accept the You Me Unity report.
Help support the national conversation about updating our constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture for the benefit of all Australians. Join You Me Unity today. Or sign up at Facebook.
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