In Australia, campaigners renew call for referendum in 2023 on recognizing indigenous minorities and rights

Campaigners are seeking a referendum, which is required to make changes to the constitution, on recognising indigenous minorities in the constitution and mandating governments to consult Aboriginal people on decisions that affect their lives. Activists launched an information campaign last week running on all major television networks calling on political parties to back a referendum in 2023. [...] A successful referendum would bring Australia in line with Canada, New Zealand and the United States in formally recognising indigenous populations. But the big political parties are divided on how to handle the demand. Campaigning for the polls, Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week refused to back a referendum saying instead his government's policy was to establish indigenous representation in parliament through legislation. The ruling coalition had promised in 2019 to hold a referendum and allocated $160 million for the process but little came of it. [...] The opposition Labor Party, however, has promised a referendum, a demand first enshrined in a 2017 Uluru Statement at a convention that brought together more than 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders at the sacred monolith in central Australia.
Read the full article here: Swiss Info