What is your full name?
John Graham Butler MARTIN
What is your postal code?
4055
Do you support recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by changing the Constitution or making some other kind of legal change?
I don't know
Should we have a statement that acknowledges the First Peoples of Australia?
Yes. This should be in a normal Australian law, but not in the Constitution.
What should the statement say?
That all Australians whether original or following immigration should have the same rights
Do you have any other comments on a statement about the First Peoples of Australia?
They deserve exactly the same rights as all other Australians
Should the word 'race' be taken out of the Constitution?
Yes
Should the Australian Parliament keep the power to make special laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
No
Do you have any other comments on powers to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
It must be an offence to disadvantage anyone due to their 'race' whatever their race is
Do you think that a guarantee against racial discrimination should go into the Constitution?
I don't know
If there is not enough support for a guarantee in the Constitution, what other things can we do to stop racial discrimination in national laws?
Change any law that has any mention of racial discrimination in it to make sure that the discrimination is removed from the law
Do you have any other comments on changing the Constitution to stop racial discrimination?
It should be unnecessary to have reference to specifically Aboriginal discrimination in the Constitution ALL discrimination should be removed
Do you think Indigenous people should have a say when Parliament and government make laws and policies about Indigenous affairs?
Yes
Should a new Indigenous group be set up under the Constitution to give advice and make sure Indigenous people have a voice in political decisions that affect them?
I don't know
Do you have any other comments on this Indigenous group?
My personal belief is that too much emphasis on racial discrimination will heighten it rather than remove it ie we need to tread carefully when discussing the issue as my personal experience (I've been an Aussie for 55 years - born Pom in 1938) is that in
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
Removing discrimination
Is there any point in keeping it?
No
Do you have any other comments?
I dont have any real experience of racial discrimination but I intrinsically know that it is wrong and should not be present anywhere in Australia's constitution or in the day-to-day living of all Australians or any other people living in or visiting this
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual