Everything You Need to Know About the Referendum to Recognise Indigenous Australians

Detailing how the Australian Constitution was drafted, this book shows how Aboriginal peoples came to be excluded from the new political settlement, and provides what Australians need to know about the proposal to recognize Aboriginal peoples in the Constitution. It explains what the 1967 referendum--in which more than 90 percent of Australians voted to delete discriminatory references to Aboriginal people from the Constitution--achieved and why discriminatory racial references remain. Close to 15 million people will cast their vote in the upcoming referendum (the date is to be announced) and need expert information that is clear and informed--as found in this book--allowing them to participate in the debate and make an informed decision. Written by two of the best-known experts in the country on matters legal, indigenous, and constitutional, the book shows the symbolic and legal power of such a change and how to get there.