'If not now, when?': Emotional Australian PM advances Indigenous referendum
Adds opposition leader quote in paragraphs 10-11
By Renju Jose
SYDNEY, March 23 (Reuters) -Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese fought back tears on Thursday as he revealed the question the government wants to ask in a referendum on whether to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the country's constitution.
"If not now, when?," Albanese asked, choking up during a televised media conference, standing alongside several Indigenous leaders supporting the proposal.
"For many ... this moment has been a very long time in the making," Albanese said . "Yet they have shown such patience and optimism through this process, and that spirit of cooperation and thoughtful, respectful dialogue has been so important at arriving at this point in such a united fashion."
Australia is seeking to give more recognition to its Indigenous people, who have inhabited the continent for 60,000 years but are not mentioned in the 122-year-old constitution.
Making up about 3.2% of Australia's near 26 million population, Aboriginal people track below national averages on most socio-economic measures and suffer disproportionately high rates of suicide and imprisonment.
Aboriginal people were marginalised by British colonial rulers' doctrine of terra nullius - nobody's land - and not granted voting rights until the 1960s.
Albanese urged Australians, who will be asked to vote between October and December, to amend the constitution to create a consultative committee in parliament called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
It would provide non-binding advice to parliament on matters that affect First Nations people.
The government will introduce the bill next week, hoping to pass it in the parliament by the end of June. Any constitutional alterations require a national referendum.
OPPOSITION SEEKS DETAILS
Opposition leader Peter Dutton said the government still had not responded to his queries on how the consultative panel would function and he needed more details.
"We will decide in due course whether we support the Voice or oppose it," Dutton told reporters.
The rural-based National Party, the junior partner in the opposition coalition, has said it would oppose the Voice,while the left-wing Greens party and some independent lawmakers have promised support.
A Guardian poll out on Tuesday showed public support for the referendum was down 5% but was still backed by a majority, with 59% in favour.
Albanese has staked significant political capital on the referendum. Since Australian independence in 1901, there have been 44 proposals for constitutional change in 19 referendums, and only eight have been approved.
In the last referendum in 1999, Australians voted against changing the constitution to create a republic and replace the British monarch as head of state with a president.
Opponents criticised the wording of that referendum, and Albanese has said he would aim to frame the current question as simply and clearly as possible.
The referendum question to be put to Australians will be: "A Proposed Law: to alter the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?".
The federal government on Wednesday said the legislation has passed the Senate - where it does not have a majority - with bipartisan support to ensure that the referendum voting process mirrors that of a federal election.
The opposition conservative coalition had been demanding funding for campaign groups who support and oppose the referendum but the government has made no promise.
The federal government said the 'Yes-No' pamphlet, containing arguments on both sides, will be sent to all households.
EXPLAINER-What is Australia's Indigenous 'Voice to Parliament' campaign? nL1N3532WV
FACTBOX-Five things to know about Australia's planned Indigenous referendum nL1N3532X0
Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Lincoln Feast.
免責聲明: XM Group提供線上交易平台的登入和執行服務,允許個人查看和/或使用網站所提供的內容,但不進行任何更改或擴展其服務和訪問權限,並受以下條款與條例約束:(i)條款與條例;(ii)風險提示;(iii)完全免責聲明。網站內部所提供的所有資訊,僅限於一般資訊用途。請注意,我們所有的線上交易平台內容並不構成,也不被視為進入金融市場交易的邀約或邀請 。金融市場交易會對您的投資帶來重大風險。
所有缐上交易平台所發佈的資料,僅適用於教育/資訊類用途,不包含也不應被視爲適用於金融、投資稅或交易相關諮詢和建議,或是交易價格紀錄,或是任何金融商品或非應邀途徑的金融相關優惠的交易邀約或邀請。
本網站的所有XM和第三方所提供的内容,包括意見、新聞、研究、分析、價格其他資訊和第三方網站鏈接,皆爲‘按原狀’,並作爲一般市場評論所提供,而非投資建議。請理解和接受,所有被歸類為投資研究範圍的相關内容,並非爲了促進投資研究獨立性,而根據法律要求所編寫,而是被視爲符合營銷傳播相關法律與法規所編寫的内容。請確保您已詳讀並完全理解我們的非獨立投資研究提示和風險提示資訊,相關詳情請點擊 這裡查看。