New constitution group meets

The new Citizens for Constitutional Change (Central Coast) group will hold a meeting on Tuesday, January 17, in Blackwall, to discuss issues related to constitutional change.

The group met for the first time last month to discuss a proposal by the Gillard Government to canvass the opinion of the Australian people in regard to a change in the Australian Constitution to include a reference to Indigenous Australians.

Prior to the meeting, several of the group had participated in the nationwide community consultation process, and had made submissions to the expert panel that had been tasked to seek opinions about Constitutional Change.

At its next meeting, the group will discuss issues such as the deletion or amendment of clauses in the constitution which refer to race, an inclusion of a binding statement of recognition of indigenous peoples in the preamble of the constitution or the body of the constitution, the replacement of all or part of the existing Constitution, the insertion of a Bill of Rights for all Australians, the development of a Treaty between indigenous peoples and other Australians and other related issues.

For more information, phone Barbara Kelly on 0414 747 933.

Email, 6 Dec 2011 Barbara Kelly, Umina