ATSIC
23 March 1999
STATEMENT BY ATSIC CHAIRMAN
GATJIL DJERRKURA
PM'S PREAMBLE PREDICTABLE
The Prime Minister's proposed preamble to the Constitution is entirely
predictable.
It has been clear in the Prime Minister's public statements over the past
few months that he would not entertain considered requests for his draft
preamble to recognise Indigenous Australians as the original occupants and
custodians of our land.
It does not.
I'd suggest its silence in this regard will make it unacceptable to most
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in its present form, but we
remain hopeful this will not be the Prime Minister's last word.
The Prime Minister has consistently stated that recognition of the
Indigenous custodianship of this country would confer a special contemporary
status before the law.
In his prepared statement released today the Prime Minister has said there
will be a clause in the legislation authorising that the preamble be
submitted to a referendum which will declare it has no legal force or
effect.
I am conscious that this draft preamble, along with that proposed by the
leadership of the Australian Labor Party, has been released for public
debate in the lead up to the debate in the Federal Parliament.
Clearly the preamble debate has a long way to run.
I am sure many Indigenous people will take a close and active interest in
whether the Prime Minister will entertain any changes to his draft as a
result of this debate.
I would be happy to meet with the Prime Minister to discuss my concerns with
this draft preamble in the hope he will keeping an open mind during the
forthcoming debate.
Gatjil Djerrkura
Media contacts: Brian Johnstone 0419
010 687
Martin Freckmann
018 631 045
Craig Sproule
Craig Sproule
Office of Public Affairs
Ph: 02 6289 3450
Fax: 02 6282 2854
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