What is your full name?
Karen Chiodo
What is your postal code?
3198
Do you support recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by changing the Constitution or making some other kind of legal change?
Yes
Should we have a statement that acknowledges the First Peoples of Australia?
Yes. This should be in the Constitution.
Where is the best place to put it?
The start of the Constitution
What should the statement say?
Acknowledge Aboriginal + Torres Strait Islander's as Australia's first people, that Australia was not terra nullius when the British arrived and the continuing relationships Aboriginal people share with the land and waterways + the preservation of culture
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?
Yes
Do you have any ideas on what new words could be used to describe that power, or where in the Constitution to put the power?
Section 51 should be removed and a new section in the constitution should be used specifically including the words Aboriginal + Torres Strait Islanders to recognise their cultural differences + ensure against unfair treatment.
Do you have any other comments on powers to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
Indigenous Australians should have more of an input (voice) to the laws made for Aboriginal people, full consultation is needed to ensure unfairness does not occur and hopefully see a decrease in incarceration levels + deaths in custody.
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?
include words about discrimination in a new power for the Australian Parliament to make laws about Indigenous peoples.
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?
Yes
Is it worth creating the new group if it can only give advice and does not have the power to block new laws?
Yes
Do you have any ideas about what the new group would look like?
A group of prominent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander's including Elders to represent their people's voice along with younger educated + artistic, cultural knowledge + law to advice political decisions, even if they lack the power to force change
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
It would remove a section of the constitution that talks of Parliament having the power to preventing a race from voting in state elections.
Is there any point in keeping it?
No as The Racial Discrimination Act already stops states from banning racial groups to vote at state elections.
Do you have any other comments?
Recognition is very important step in the healing process for Indigenous peoples, although we can never make up for the atrocities of the past we can go some way to ensuring a better future for Aboriginal + Torres Strait Islanders in the future by recogni
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual