Act of Recognition

As a new parliamentary year kicks off, ANTaR’s National Director, Jacqueline Phillips, hopes our political leaders can transcend party lines to ensure recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is granted.

The Australian Parliament is, tomorrow (13 February 2013), expected to vote on a bill that could see Australia take another step towards due recognition of the First Peoples of this land.

Some of you will be aware of moves to change Australia’s Constitution to recognise Australia’s First Peoples. Some may even have heard about proposals to address racist aspects of our founding document and ensure that all Australians are protected from being discriminated against on the basis of their race, culture and ethnicity. These conversations have been happening for some time, initially led by a panel appointed by the Government in 2010 that found widespread community support for change.

A better way: building healthy, safe and sustainable communities in the Northern Territory

At this critical juncture in planning the future of the Northern Territory Intervention, ANTaR calls on both major parties to learn from the international development experience and work with Aboriginal people to plan the transition from intervention to sustainable futures.

“There is a Third World in every First World… and vice-versa” — Trinh Minh Ha

In June 2011 the Federal Government released a discussion paper, Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory, to consult with Northern Territory communities on the future of Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER), acknowledging that there is “still much to be done” to close the gap in the Northern Territory. 

Let’s create a Constitution free from racial discrimination

Jacqueline Phillips, National Director of ANTaR, a national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's rights and reconciliation advocacy organisation, highlights the importance of International Day of the World's Indigenous People for the Australian Constitution.

The Australian Constitution forms the basis of our laws and political system. In fact, it has been described as the ‘fabric’ of our nation. Given this, most Australians would be surprised to learn that our Constitution permits racial discrimination. They might also think that its silence regarding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, status and rights reflects an outdated (and racist) blindness from which we have matured as a nation.