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| Abbott, Shorten and Indigenous leaders discuss recognition referendum – live | Abbott, Shorten and Indigenous leaders discuss recognition referendum – live |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 2.35pm AEST05:35 | |
| Opposition leader Bill Shorten has followed Abbott with comments to media, and said the gathering was a “test” to see if they could “move this nation closer to sorting out the great silence of the constitution”. | |
| He called the constitution the “nation’s birth certificate” and said it must include all Australians, “including our first Australians”. | |
| Over the course of four hours, the two men apparently put aside party politics to talk with 40 indigenous leaders, establishing plans for a series of community conferences that would “engage Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, at the grassroots, big cities and our regional centres”. | |
| Shorten said these conferences would be supported and supervised by a referendum council, whose job will be to “talk through the technical issues” and ensure all parts of the Australian population are reached. | |
| Updated at 2.41pm AEST | |
| 2.14pm AEST05:14 | 2.14pm AEST05:14 |
| The meeting has wrapped up and prime minister, Tony Abbott, has emerged to tell media that a “significant step forward” has been made on the question of constitutional recognition, but “not the final step”. | The meeting has wrapped up and prime minister, Tony Abbott, has emerged to tell media that a “significant step forward” has been made on the question of constitutional recognition, but “not the final step”. |
| Abbott has made it clear this is just the first of many meetings and planned “community conferences” that will take place around the nation. | Abbott has made it clear this is just the first of many meetings and planned “community conferences” that will take place around the nation. |
| He added this wasn’t a day to “rule things in or out” but rather establish a process – one which will be supervised by a soon to-be-established referendum council. | He added this wasn’t a day to “rule things in or out” but rather establish a process – one which will be supervised by a soon to-be-established referendum council. |
| This is a terrific thing that we have built here in this country. But what we now need to do is end the echoing silence in our constitution. That echoing silence is omission of Indigenous people in our constitution. | This is a terrific thing that we have built here in this country. But what we now need to do is end the echoing silence in our constitution. That echoing silence is omission of Indigenous people in our constitution. |
| The question of who should make up this council will become a critical and no doubt hotly debated question. Two positions have already been announced: minister Ken Wyatt as chair, senator Nova Peris as deputy, and then other members who are “broadly representative of the whole of Australia”. | The question of who should make up this council will become a critical and no doubt hotly debated question. Two positions have already been announced: minister Ken Wyatt as chair, senator Nova Peris as deputy, and then other members who are “broadly representative of the whole of Australia”. |
| The prime minister ended by saying he felt “this time is right to move down this path” and that there is now enough goodwill to see a proposed form of constitutional change by mid-2016, and hopefully a referendum the following year. | The prime minister ended by saying he felt “this time is right to move down this path” and that there is now enough goodwill to see a proposed form of constitutional change by mid-2016, and hopefully a referendum the following year. |
| We are good enough and brave enough to do this. But it is important to get this process right. | We are good enough and brave enough to do this. But it is important to get this process right. |
| Updated at 2.35pm AEST | |
| 1.40pm AEST04:40 | 1.40pm AEST04:40 |
| Welcome to Guardian Australia’s live coverage of an important meeting at Kirribilli House in Sydney, between the prime minister, Tony Abbott, opposition leader Bill Shorten and 40 Indigenous Australian community leaders to discuss proposed changes to the constitution. | Welcome to Guardian Australia’s live coverage of an important meeting at Kirribilli House in Sydney, between the prime minister, Tony Abbott, opposition leader Bill Shorten and 40 Indigenous Australian community leaders to discuss proposed changes to the constitution. |
| The two issues being discussed: the removal of two provisions that allow for racial discrimination and recognising Indigenous people in the constitution. | The two issues being discussed: the removal of two provisions that allow for racial discrimination and recognising Indigenous people in the constitution. |
| The meeting itself has already attracted some criticism. Guardian Australia reporter Shalailah Medhora reported on 50 protesters calling for sovereignty over recognition, with one man arrested for spitting at a Commonwealth government vehicle. | The meeting itself has already attracted some criticism. Guardian Australia reporter Shalailah Medhora reported on 50 protesters calling for sovereignty over recognition, with one man arrested for spitting at a Commonwealth government vehicle. |
| Speakers at the protest were flanked by a dozen police officers who barricaded the gate of the conference centre. Ken Canning, who addressed the crowd, pointed the finger of blame at Indigenous leaders taking part in the meetings. | Speakers at the protest were flanked by a dozen police officers who barricaded the gate of the conference centre. Ken Canning, who addressed the crowd, pointed the finger of blame at Indigenous leaders taking part in the meetings. |
| “We have to start calling these things for what they are,” Canning said. “This is not just a meeting; this is an act of treason against their own people.” | “We have to start calling these things for what they are,” Canning said. “This is not just a meeting; this is an act of treason against their own people.” |
| “They are legitimising everything he [Abbott] has done [to Aboriginal people] by sitting down with him,” Canning said. | “They are legitimising everything he [Abbott] has done [to Aboriginal people] by sitting down with him,” Canning said. |
| One woman yelled outside the window where the leaders were meeting. “You don’t speak for 65% of Indigenous people, you sell-outs!” | One woman yelled outside the window where the leaders were meeting. “You don’t speak for 65% of Indigenous people, you sell-outs!” |
| Writing for Comment is Free, Ngunawal man and constitutional law academic Darren Parker questioned why an official list of attendees was not published: | Writing for Comment is Free, Ngunawal man and constitutional law academic Darren Parker questioned why an official list of attendees was not published: |
| While some names have been reported recently and some knowledge of attendees is known across many Indigenous communities, it is only a partial list – approximately 18 of the stated 40 people invited. It is better known in communities who is not invited (hint: the largest Aboriginal organisation in the country was not invited – the NSW Aboriginal Land Council). It appears that history is being repeated and not being made, in this sense. | While some names have been reported recently and some knowledge of attendees is known across many Indigenous communities, it is only a partial list – approximately 18 of the stated 40 people invited. It is better known in communities who is not invited (hint: the largest Aboriginal organisation in the country was not invited – the NSW Aboriginal Land Council). It appears that history is being repeated and not being made, in this sense. |
| Abbott will soon be making comments to media, followed by Shorten and a number of these community leaders. | Abbott will soon be making comments to media, followed by Shorten and a number of these community leaders. |
| Updated at 2.36pm AEST |