Indigenous recognition 'a perverse sort of racism', says David Leyonhjelm
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Version 0 of 1. Recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution would be a “perverse sort of racism”, according to crossbench senator David Leyonhjelm, who has said the idea they were on the continent first is “conjecture”. The Liberal Democrat senator, who holds a vital crossbench vote, gave a speech in the Senate on Thursday in which he rejected the call for constitutional reform. “Every human being in Australia is a person, equal before the law. Giving legal recognition to characteristics held by certain persons, particularly when those characteristics are inherent, like ancestry, represents a perverse sort of racism,” Leyonhjelm said. “Although it appears positive, it still singles some people out on the basis of race.” No one person’s ancestry is more important than another person’s He said recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were on the continent first was “conjecture”. “Archaeologists make extraordinary discoveries all the time, and one of those discoveries could be that someone made it to Australia before the Aborigines,” Leyonhjelm said. “Statements like this belong in scholarly research, not legislation. Ever since the Enlightenment we have accepted that questions of fact are resolved by evidence, not by decree. You can’t legislate a fact.” Leyonhjelm goes on to say that highlighting the connection between Indigenous people and the land they live on is “stereotyping”, and that acknowledging their unique culture is “divisive”. “It is likely that some Australians do not respect the cultures, languages or heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. What is the parliament doing to these people when it asserts that the people of Australia respect Aboriginal cultures? It is casting them as un-Australian,” he said. “No one person’s ancestry is more important than another person’s.” Recognising Indigenous people in the constitution has broad bipartisan support, and the prime minister Tony Abbott has vowed to have a referendum on the issue in 2017. The wording of the referendum has not yet been decided. Related: Recognition for Indigenous Australians is not like the republic. We need a model to debate | Larissa Behrendt The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner Mick Gooda said Leyonhjelm’s comments were not reflective of the majority of parliamentarians. “I am pleased to see the overwhelming majority of MPs and senators across the parliament are very supportive of the coming recognition referendum. They understand the importance of such a unifying achievement for the country,” Gooda said. “Rather than being divisive, it’s an opportunity to bring Australians together,” he said. “If you support race equality, it’s important to understand that the constitution doesn’t currently reflect that. It allows for race discrimination today.” “It’s too early for anyone to be so trenchantly opposed to this. Let’s remember this is an opportunity to make progress in the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.” The Greens want more leadership on the issue. “I am disappointed that we haven’t got as far in the debate on constitutional recognition that I consider that we should have got at this stage,” senator Rachel Siewert said. “I think that the debate has lacked the drive that we need for this discussion.” |