What is your full name?
Dr Vivienne Gae Callender
What is your postal code?
2120
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?
In both the law and the Constitution
What should the statement say?
The law should mention that when people came to Australia, the first group came thousands of years before the other groups arrived to settle here. These are known as "The First Peoples of Australia".
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?
I say no because to make special laws means that these people must be viewed differently from other citizens. That does not sound just to me. If you are going to take out the word "race", then you cannot reserve the right to make laws for any different ra
Do you think that a guarantee against racial discrimination should go into the Constitution?
Yes
Should the guarantee protect all Australians against racial discrimination, or only Indigenous Australians?
All Australians
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?
I don't know
Do you have any ideas about what the new group would look like?
It should consist of a mixture of elders, young First Peoples, and academics of any ethnic background g for balance
Do you have any other comments on this Indigenous group?
I think that there should be a mix because we all live in the one country. The groups listed above should consist of 30% elders, 30% First Peoples youth and 30% mixed other, for we all live together and need to get input from all groups who will have to
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual