Page 3727 - Week 10 - Thursday, 14 September 2017
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This is our chance to make some sort of amends. We still have a long way to go. But at least we can make a start at treating him as an equal.
Here in the ACT we have an opportunity to continue that start that was made five decades ago. In recognising this landmark occasion in our nation’s history, we can play our part in the reconciliation process. Members may be aware that the coat of arms behind the Speaker’s chair includes an acknowledgement of our shared history with the Indigenous people of our region. The black and white swans are not just symbolic of the wealth of native bird life in the territory but also represent both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians of the region.
Given that the coat of arms was formally adopted for the City of Canberra in 1928, it could be said the ACT is typical in setting the standard for Indigenous recognition. And here we are today, again leading the way in reconciliation. This amendment bill seeks to recognise the cultural and historical significance of 27 May 1967. Reconciliation Day in the ACT presents an opportunity to celebrate the relationship we have with the Ngunnawal, Ngarigo and Ngambri people of the Canberra region. In doing so the ACT becomes the first state or territory in the federation to recognise an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander focused public holiday. This reflects changes made to human rights legislation in the ACT to support the recognition of Indigenous cultural rights and the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement, which committed the ACT government to strive towards achieving reconciliation.
Let us not forget the importance that symbolism can play. If we think of the process leading up to the 1967 referendum, the significance of that day stands out as a beacon of achievement. It is often thought that the referendum gave Indigenous people the right to vote in federal elections. However, this had in effect already happened when, in 1949, the Chifley government passed an act enabling anyone who was eligible to vote in state elections to vote federally. In 1962 legislation was extended to voluntary federal voting for all Aboriginal people of age. We also remember the referendum as giving Indigenous people the right to citizenship. This too is effectively not the case. The Nationality and Citizenship Act 1948 gave citizenship to all Australians, who had, until then, been deemed to be British subjects. At this time all Aboriginal people were automatically given Australian citizenship.
It is also incorrect to say that the referendum result led to Aboriginal people being counted in the census or that it marked the time when we officially stopped classifying Indigenous people as flora and fauna. What is now the Australian Bureau of Statistics did count the Indigenous population, but they were not included in population determinations. None of these came into effect officially as a result of that vote, yet we remember it as though they did. We remember 27 May 1967 in this way because of its symbolism. The referendum result struck out section 127, allowing the Indigenous population to be counted in the census’s official population, and amended section 61 to remove a restriction on the commonwealth parliament legislating in regard to Indigenous people. However, given the significance of the outcome, this vote now acts as a symbol of reconciliation and Indigenous recognition.
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