Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has used his visit to the Northern Territory to re-state his support for the proposed constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.
But in doing so, he's been accused of playing politics, by calling for opposition backing for an issue that already had bipartisan support.
Mr Rudd was in the Territory to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the historic Yirrkala Bark Petitions which were sent from Arnhem Land's Yolgnu people to the federal government in 1963.
Thea Cowie reports.
In the shade of the Yirrkala gumtrees, Yolgnu leaders have thanked their elders for their vision in preparing the Yikkala Bark Petitions.
The petitions, typed on paper and framed in ochre-painted bark, called on the federal government to consult with the Indigenous Yolgnu (yul-noo) people before annexing some 300-thousand hectares of their land for mining purposes.
The petitions helped to advance the Indigenous land rights movement.
They are also seen as being a catalyst for other changes, including the 1967 referendum which saw the federal government being able to take responsibility for Indigenous affairs, and for Indigenous people to be counted in the census.
Almost 50 years on, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is supporting the proposal call for another referendum, to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
He says constitutional change is vital for reconciliation.
"I therefore as Prime Minister want to see this matter brought to the people of Australia by referendum within two years of the election of the next parliament."
Mr Rudd says the history of referenda shows bipartisan support is necessary to bring about constitutional change and he's told Opposition Leader Tony Abbott it's time for the coalition to "get its act together" on the issue.
But Mr Abbott says it's Labor that's been holding back change.
"Well we've said that within 12 months of a change of government we would put forward a draft proposed change and we would establish a bi-partisan process to assess the likelihood of the change succeeding. I strongly support appropriate acknowledgment of Aboriginal people in our constitution. I think this could be a defining, unifying moment for our country and I want it to go ahead."
The coalition and the Gillard Labor government had already come to an agreement to support constitutional recognition of first Australians.
But Labor delayed a 2012 referendum in favor of a later date to ensure proper public awareness.
In early 2012 a government-appointed Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples delivered its report.
University of Sydney Professor of Constitutional Law Dr Anne Twomey says there were a few controversial recommendations.
"The Coalition were pretty reluctant about including the anti-racial discrimination provision on the basis that they don't think rights should be constitutionalised. So there may be issues there. There was some suggestion it was a one line bill of rights. There will be a preamble which involves recognition of the ongoing relationship of the ongoing relationship between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their lands and waters. There is a possibility that by recognising that ongoing relationship that may mean then that in terms of native title claims they would no longer need to be able to prove that connection because the constitution says it's there. So that could be what people are getting at but it all comes down to what the words are that you put into the constitution."
Ben Schokman, from the Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Centre, says the Expert Panel also found many Australians would support the referendum proposal.
"It found that in fact it was a blemish on our nationhood and many Australians were surprised and embarrassed to hear that Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islander people aren't even recognised as being the first peoples in our constitution. And in fact that our constitution provides for racial discrimination."
But some Indigenous leaders are looking for changes beyond the constitution proposal.
At the ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, prominent Yolgnu elder Galarrwuy Yunupingu criticised earlier attempts at improving Indigenous rights.
"We have looked forward to the Land Rights giving us something. At least it gave us something in its name. The Land Rights is for the Aboriginal people but the land ownership and the use of land ownership is for, not for Aborigines. It's for mining companies, it's for white fellas (applause)."
Mr Rudd has also used his visit to the Territory to promote Labor's National Broadband Network and call on the Chief Minister to sign up to federal education reforms ahead of Sunday's deadline.
It's his second visit to the territory since returning to the top job less than a fortnight ago.
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