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The road to constitutional recognition

30 May 2017
Culture and Capability
Large gathering of people in a hall, one standing at a rostrum and most seated at tables or on seat rows. The carpet is red, the walls are beige and the curtains are brown. Covering the far end wall is the Aboriginal flag.

The Referendum Council have been talking to Australians about changing our Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Over the past few months, the Referendum Council has hosted 12 regional dialogues around Australia to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people a chance to say what meaningful recognition is to them. They also held an information day in Canberra.

The Council also held a digital consultation on their website and social media channels. Submissions closed on 15 May.

This process culminated in a First Nations Convention at Uluru on 23-26 May. The Convention was a historic moment in our Nation’s history; for the first time Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are leading the conversation.

The Council will now report to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition on views captured in the consultation process and how the Constitution might best be changed. This report is due for submission by 30 June 2017.

Take a look back at the process through the First Nations Regional Dialogue videos, get up to speed on the five options for reform through the weekly discussion topics or look back at the conversation.

Find out more

In December 2015, the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition appointed a 16-member Referendum Council to talk to Australians about changing our Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

To find out more about the process and proposed options for reform, visit the Referendum Council website.