What changed after the 1967 referendum?
The 1967 referendum did not end discrimination in Australia but instead opened a door for the Australian Government to make specific laws that applied to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that could assist in addressing inequalities.
What was the significance of the 1967 referendum?
The 1967 Referendum was the most successful in our history winning 93 percent of votes cast. This empowered the national government to make laws in respect of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples that could assist in addressing inequalities.
What influenced the 1967 referendum?
Influenced by colonial views of the 19th century, the founding fathers of the Constitution incorporated sections which later ignited discussions which led to the 1967 referendum. These were sections 51 and 127.
When were Indigenous allowed to vote in Australia?
1962
The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 gave all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the option to enrol and vote in federal elections, although enrolment was not compulsory. Shortly after this, Western Australia and the Northern Territory gave Aboriginal people the right to vote in state elections.
What is the significance of the 1967 referendum and how do we continue to contribute to a fairer and more just society?
The 1967 Referendum contributed significantly to Australian political, social and cultural history. The staging and outcome of the Referendum indicated Australian society’s maturity and willingness to recognise fundamental human rights and to give Aboriginal people a fair go.
What was the reason for the change to the Australian Constitution in 1967?
On 27 May 1967, Australians voted in favour of changes to the Australian Constitution to improve the services available to Indigenous Australians. The changes focused on two sections of the Constitution, which discriminated against Aborigines.
Did the 1967 referendum give Aboriginal people equal rights?
The Referendum gave the federal government the power to make laws for First Nations people, but it didn’t require that those laws would ensure equality and wouldn’t be discriminatory.
Is it compulsory for Indigenous Australians to vote?
Commonwealth Electoral Act provided that Indigenous Australians should have the right to enrol and vote at federal elections, including Northern Territory elections, but enrolment was not compulsory.
What rights did the Aboriginal community not have before the 1967 referendum?
Most Australians thought that the 1967 referendum would allow full citizenship rights for Indigenous Australians. But the referendum didn’t give Aborigines the vote, equal pay or citizenship rights. It also didn’t address their rates of pay or personal freedoms – issues that also needed urgent attention.
What was section 51 and 127 of the Australian Constitution?
127, which stipulated that for the purposes of the census ‘aboriginal natives shall not be counted’, and to remove from s. 51(xxvi) the prohibition on the Commonwealth Parliament making special laws for ‘the aboriginal race in any State’-became a major objective of Indigenous and other reform groups.
Did indigenous people have the right to vote?
In 1960, First Nations men and women were granted the right to vote in federal elections without conditions. They could vote whether they lived on or off reserve, and they no longer had to give up their Indian status under the law to vote.
What happened on 27th of May 1967?
What happened in the 1999 referendum?
To alter the Constitution to establish the Commonwealth of Australia as a republic with the Queen and Governor-General being replaced by a President appointed by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Commonwealth Parliament. To alter the Constitution to insert a preamble.
What does section 51 of the Australian Constitution State?
Section 51(xxxviii) allows state parliament(s) to refer to the Commonwealth Parliament any matter that the Parliament of the United Kingdom or the Federal Council of Australasia could legislate on their behalf at the establishment of the Commonwealth.
Why was section 127 of the Australian Constitution removed?
The removal of this section is one of the changes needed to prevent lawful race-based discrimination against the Aboriginal peoples, and is one of the recommendations of the Expert Panel on Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Constitution.
Will there ever be a constitutional referendum on Indigenous recognition?
Last year the Minister for Indigenous Australians pledged there would be a referendum on constitutional recognition within three years, but today he says that is now “unlikely”. Skip to main content
Will there be a constitutional recognition referendum before the next election?
Key points: Last year the Government promised a referendum on constitutional recognition before the next election Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt now says that is unlikely in this term The Minister says the Government will not place a timeline on when the vote will happen
Should Indigenous views have primacy in deciding on constitutional amendments?
Given Indigenous constitutional recognition is about us, Indigenous Australians, it is entirely fitting and proper that our views have primacy in deciding the nature and form of any constitutional amendments.
What is the First Nations National Convention for indigenous constitutional recognition?
From a broader perspective, the First Nations National Convention has as a guiding template for possible Indigenous constitutional recognition the work and recommendations of two significant national consultations.