In this submission Amnesty International raises concerns that the Referendum Council process on constitutional reform was not fully inclusive of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community views. Amnesty International urged that the remainder of the process be meaningfully consultative and inclusive, so that the right to participate is upheld.
Amnesty International recommends that any final outcome of this process has the free, prior and informed consent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including by meaningfully engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander national peak bodies.
Regarding to the ‘key proposals for reform’, please refer our 2015 submission to the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples). Amnesty International supports measures which reflect substantive constitutional change.
Finally, Amnesty International recommends that the Government follow the approach outlined in the Redfern Statement, by addressing and implementing the recommendations of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
