A majority of Australians support the push to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people in the nation's founding document, a new poll has found.
The poll, conducted by the Australian National University, found that 82 per cent of people supported the removal of references to race in the constitution.
There was also a 73 per cent support for recognising Indigenous culture language and heritage.
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More than 59 per cent of people surveyed also believe it would be better if Indigenous people were 'assimilated' into Australian society.
The survey of 1000 people, carried out late last year, found that 21.3 per cent of respondents strongly agreed that complete integration would be the best option, while 37.9 per cent agreed.
Despite this, almost 80 per cent of respondents believed that Indigenous people should be able to decide for themselves their way if life.
The results were issued less than a month after Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s comments stating that Aboriginal people make 'lifestyle choices' to live in remote communities.
The poll follows comments by Senator David Leyonhjelm, who labelled the push for constitutional recognition as racist and divisive.
Addressing the Senate earlier this month, the Liberal Democratic Senator spoke out against constitutional recognition as it singled out people by race.
“Every human being in Australia is a person, equal before the law,” he said.
“Giving legal recognition to characteristics held by certain persons – particularly when those characteristics are inherent, like ancestry – represents a perverse sort of racism.”
Mr Abbott has previously committed to a referendum to recognise Indigenous people in the Constitution, telling advocates that he was “prepared to sweat blood”.
He hopes to hold a referendum in 2017.
Indigenous issues and ‘better government’
Only one per cent of respondents named Indigenous issues as one of the most important problems facing the country, behind the likes of the economy, immigration, terrorism and “better government”.
When asked, 47.2 per cent of those polled believed that problems faced by Indigenous people have been caused primarily by the attitudes of other Australians and the policies of government.
Almost 45 per cent of people believed that the private sector should be doing more to employ Indigenous people, while 47.2 per cent believed that the government should provide extra help to aid Aboriginal people in finding jobs.
Read the survey results in full below.
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