(Transcript from World News Australia Radio)
After allocating $10-million to promote the concept, the former Labor government shelved plans for a referendum on recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
The Labor government argued there was no point in pursuing the matter because there was insufficient community support.
Now, as Zara Zaher reports, the idea has been taken up by the Coalition government.
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In his New Year message, Prime Minister Tony Abbott highlighted Indigenous recognition as a key priority for 2014.
"I'll also start the conversation about a constitutional referendum to recognise the first Australians. This would complete our Constitution rather than change it. We are a great country and a great people. We believe in family, in community, in doing things for love and not just money, and living our ideals."
Following the Coalition's election win in September, it established a new parliamentary committee to advise on proposed changes to the wording of the Constitution.
The committee is led by Australia's first Indigenous Lower House MP, Ken Wyatt, with Labor Senator Nova Peris as deputy chair.
One area of debate centres around removing so-called race provisions of the Constitution.
First, there's Section 25, which raises the possibility of state laws disqualifying people of a particular race from voting at state elections.
And there's Section 51, which gives the federal government power to make special laws for people of any race.
The chair of the Abbott government's Indigenous Advisory Committee, Warren Mundine, told the ABC the provisions potentially affect every Australian.
"It actually talks about the race laws, it actually means the race laws are about all Australians. In theory -- and I can't ever see this happening - but in theory we could make laws about people of Indian descent in Australia. We could make laws about people who come from eastern Europe, the Slavic people in Australia. So yes, the race laws not only involve Indigenous people, but involve every Australian."
The previous Labor government allocated $10-million for community consultations on Constitutional change, led by the group called Recognise Australia.
The group's Deputy Campaign Director, Tanya Hosch says there's still a long way to go before an Indigenous recognition proposal is ready to be put to voters at a referendum.
"There's no question that there's an enormous amount of work to do and it's really going to require the heart and commitment of Australians everywhere to help us reach this milestone because you do need a very strong people's movement and a committed people's movement to make something like this happen. We've got really good reasons I think to be optimistic about our chances on this but we should never underestimate just how much work has to take place to make sure that Australians are feeling well informed about this come referendum day and understand the significance."
Chairman of Indigenous Central Land Council, Maurie Japarta Ryan, says Indigenous recognition in the Constitution is achievable.
He says all political parties must unite on the matter, and involve Aboriginal elders in drawing up a referendum proposal.
"What needs to be included and Australians should not be afraid of this is the recognition of the first nations people of Australia of our laws that should be embedded within the Constitution of Australia. This is why I'd like to bring lawmen and lawwomen and elders to sit down with politicians and re-write sections. It's 113 years with government procrastinating for that long. And I congratulate Tony Abbott for getting up and saying this and maybe this year it can be done with the cooperation of all Australians."
The Australian Greens have welcomed the issue returning to the political agenda.
Greens Senator Richard Di Natale says his party will be supporting efforts to reach agreement on a referendum proposal.
"The Greens certainly support the commitment from the Abbott government. We support the fact that this has been recognised as a priority. We're a little dissapointed that progress to date has been slow. But now's the time to lay the groundwork, to work very hard on getting our founding docutment right so that it recognises the original inhabitants of this land, our indigenous brothers and sisters."
The federal Opposition's Indigenous Affairs spokesman, Shayne Neumann, says the Labor Party will seek to achieve bi-partisan agreement on a proposal to put to a referendum.
But Mr Neumann says he's not expecting much progress in relation to other aspects of the Coalition's approach to Indigenous affairs.
"I think what Indigenous people want around the country is real change in Closing the Gap, on health education, employment and a whole variety of areas including disability and justice. But the Prime Minister seemed to think that you change the constitution that have limited impact and limited activity with respect to Closing the Gap. And I think the Prime Minister really has a lot to answer for if he wants to be the Indigenous Affairs Prime Minister, I think it's really in his own imagination at the moment. So I'm anticipating some really big cuts to Indigenous Affairs and that's what Coalition governments have done in the past when they've come to power and that's what I'm expecting from Tony Abbott next year."
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