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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-29 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

ABORIGINAL CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITION

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:05): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yesterday I announced our commitment to provide proper recognition of the first South Australians in the constitution of our state. Our constitution is our most fundamental document, setting out the rules for governance of our state. In such an important document it is proper that Aboriginal people be recognised.

This is a commitment that has been building momentum for some time, both in our state and nationally. The commonwealth government's process of consultation on federal constitutional recognition was led by an expert panel and left no doubt that there is widespread support for such recognition.

In South Australia public consultation on the update of the Strategic Plan led to similar sentiments of support from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It is clear that constitutional recognition is widely supported, but we also want to hear from the community on how it should be done. For that purpose, we have appointed an advisory panel of eminent South Australians who will engage with South Australians and provide advice on the possible forms of recognition.

I am pleased to inform the house that the members of the advisory panel are: Ms Shirley Peisley AM (a former co-chair of Reconciliation SA); the Hon. John von Doussa AO (a former judge of the Federal and Supreme Courts and former president of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission); Professor Peter Buckskin (Dean and Head of School of the David Unaipon College of Indigenous Education and Research, University of South Australia, and current Co-Chair of Reconciliation SA); Ms Robyn Layton AO QC (former Supreme Court justice and current Co-Chair of Reconciliation SA); and Ms Khatija Thomas, Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement. Peter Buckskin has accepted the role of convener.

We have asked the advisory panel to come back to us after a three-month public consultation with some appropriate options for how this overdue recognition should be made. Part of its role will be to build community consensus for change. We will be seeking bipartisan support to amend the constitution of South Australia.

It is my strong view that this process, although it will not confer new rights or create new obligations, will be of profound importance. The health and well being of individuals is deeply affected by their standing within the community, and it is clear that being treated like second-class citizens affects self-esteem and, ultimately, wellbeing.

We have an obligation to correct this situation through constitutional reform to elevate the Aboriginal people of our state to their rightful place as our first South Australians. Just as 15 years ago this parliament became the first to pass a resolution apologising to the stolen generation, so this initiative will involve us taking a further step down the path of reconciliation.

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