Tony Abbott says it’s ‘far too soon’ to consider Indigenous Senate seats
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Version 0 of 1. Tony Abbott says it is too early to consider dedicated Senate seats for Indigenous Australians, ahead of a planned referendum calling for constitutional recognition of the country’s Indigenous people. The prime minister was speaking from Arnhem Land on day two of a week-long trip to the Northern Territory to visit remote communities. He will be discussing the referendum with community representatives and says Australia is at the starting point of a process to build support for the yes vote. Asked about a fresh proposal for three upper house seats to be set aside for Indigenous Australians, Abbott said it was premature. “It’s far too soon to be talking about specific proposals,” he told ABC TV on Monday. The immediate priority was to establish a timetable for the proposed referendum and to try to build a consensus for change that ensures the proposal passes. “We want to work to a unifying moment that brings us together,” he said. Abbott said it was unlikely the timetable would be settled by the end of his NT trip. Referendums to approve changes to the constitution have had a limited success rate in Australia. Of the 44 that have been held, only eight have succeeded. |