What is your full name?
Brendan Crotty
What is your postal code?
2439
Do you support recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by changing the Constitution or making some other kind of legal change?
Yes
What should the change look like?
Whatever works for Aboriginal Australians. I don't know the technical aspects but as long as the Aboriginal community coalesces around it then I'm happy.
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?
Wherever it has most prominent, ceremonial and healing impact
What should the statement say?
Should recognise the original inhabitants, their special relationship to the land, the way their land was taken, the efforts the people and constitution will make now and into the future in order to right that wrong and to live in harmony. I'd be happy wi
Do you have any other comments on a statement about the First Peoples of Australia?
Whatever works for Aboriginal Australians. I don't know the technical aspects but as long as the Aboriginal community coalesces around it then I'm happy. I'm not in favour of anything that puts one people, race, group ahead of the other. But I am in favou
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?
Good laws could be those that protect spiritual Aboriginal land from development without full consent. A bit like Native Title but watertight in the Constitution. But good laws should always respect all of ours relationship to land country and culture. So
Do you think that a guarantee against racial discrimination should go into the Constitution?
Yes
Do you have any ideas about what words to use for that guarantee, or where in the Constitution to put it?
I'll let the lawyers work that out.
Should the guarantee protect all Australians against racial discrimination, or only Indigenous Australians?
All Australians
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?
Not enough support??? Strengthen 18C and streamline the process to remove vexatious complaints (and to get true offenders into court a lot quicker!)
Do you have any other comments on changing the Constitution to stop racial discrimination?
Sorry but this should be a no brainer.
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?
No
Do you have any ideas about what the new group would look like?
2 from each state and territory. 1 male 1 female.
Should we delete section 25?
Yes
What would we achieve by getting rid of section 25?
Another partial end to discrimination
Is there any point in keeping it?
Not that I can see
Do you have any other comments?
Good work so far. Don't give up until you get what you want. The rest of Australians will come around eventually to any major change. You just need to resist the right wing nuts in News Corp fighting "political correctness" as they'll call it.
Are you making a submission on behalf of a person (such as yourself) or organisation?
Individual