Posted
The Federal Government and Opposition have settled on the lengthy-awaited Referendum Council to seek advice from on the greatest prospect of recognising Indigenous Australians in the constitution.
Advocates of adjust are hopeful the 16-member council will break the impasse in the debate over the question that would be put to voters.
The council was anticipated to be named around the time Tony Abbott was toppled as prime minister in mid-September and the time lag has caused great aggravation for some advocates.
Membership of the council was negotiated between Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.
It consists of prominent Indigenous advocates for adjust from across the country — Pat Dodson, Pat Anderson, Noel Pearson, Mick Gooda, Megan Davis and Galarrwuy Yunupingu.
They will be joined by former Labor NSW premier Kristina Keneally, former Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja and former federal Liberal indigenous affairs minister Amanda Vanstone.
Former AFL chief Andrew Demetriou, senior lawyer and advocate Mark Leibler and former higher court chief justice Murray Gleeson are also members.
Referendum Council members:
- Professor Patrick Dodson (co-chair)
- Mark Leibler AC (co-chair)
- Pat Anderson AO
- Professor Megan Davis
- Andrew Demetriou
- Murray Gleeson AC QC
- Kristina Keneally
- Mick Gooda
- Tanya Hosch
- Jane McAloon
- Michael Rose
- Natasha Stott Despoja AM
- Noel Pearson
- Amanda Vanstone
- Dalassa Yorkston
- Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu AM
Topics: indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, community-and-society, government-and-politics, indigenous-policy, federal-government, australia