For many years, governments, communities and individuals across Australia have viewed reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Non-Indigenous Australians as an important national objective.

The Federal Parliament’s National Apology in 2008 was seen by many as a major step towards national reconciliation. ‘Closing the Gap’ has become pressing business for Australians across the country, to reduce discrimination and disadvantage, but much remains to be done.

Constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples now has wide support and is seen by many as an important further step that should now be taken towards full recognition of the unique place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 21st Century Australian society. There are several reasons for this.

First, many people would be surprised to know that not all citizens are treated equally under the Australian Constitution. While racial discrimination is no longer accepted in our community, in our workplaces and in our daily lives, the Constitution permits laws that discriminate on the basis of race.

While over 90 per cent of voters in the 1967 Referendum approved positive changes to the Constitution in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, a number of questions about the way our Constitution treats the First Australians remain unresolved.

Second, while the great majority of Australians value and celebrate the unique contribution made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and cultures to our national identity, the Constitution, our founding national document, gives no acknowledgement of the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our nation’s history or our contemporary society.

Third, many people believe that constitutional recognition would serve as a powerful symbol of the nation’s desire to embrace Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a full and equal part of the Australian nation. To advance the idea of constitutional recognition and to explore how it might be achieved, in December 2010 the Australian Government, with the support of the Opposition, the Greens and Independent members of Parliament, appointed an Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition of Indigenous Australians. The Panel’s task is to consult with the community and make recommendations by December 2011 on options for constitutional change that could be placed before the people at a future national referendum.