MEDIA RELEASE
FINAL REPORT PRESENTED TO PRIME MINISTER AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION
The Referendum Council has today presented its final report to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition.
“Our terms of reference charged us with conducting a comprehensive national consultation on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and providing guidance on next steps towards constitutional reform,” Referendum Council Co-Chair, Mark Leibler explained.
“We are confident the report reflects the views of those who contributed to this process, particularly the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who took part in Dialogues around the country.
“I think I speak on behalf of all Referendum Council members when I say we believe this report provides guidance on how we can continue to grow as a nation and ensure better outcomes for all. We are honoured to have been able to contribute to what will be an important milestone in Australia’s history.”
The Referendum Council’s report has been provided in-confidence to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition and they will determine when it will be released publicly.
“We look forward to this report being made public as soon as practicable,” Referendum Council Co-Chair, Pat Anderson said. “While the Council will not discuss the specific recommendations made in the report before that time, we have been clear over the life of our work that key themes have arisen.
“Our consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples culminated in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which has informed our advice along with all the other input received over the past six months.”
Following submission of the final report, the Referendum Council has completed its terms of reference.
“We would like to thank the thousands of Australians who participated in this process and provided their views,” Ms Anderson concluded.