Good morning fellow ministers of Government, I present before you all today regarding the an enactment of Bill of Rights within the Australian Constitutionn would better cater for the rights of Indigenous people. There are genuine arguments for a Bill of Rights to be enacted. Any person recognised as either of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, would have their human rights better satisfied a Bill of Rights within the Australian Constitution. The Bill of Rights would formally recognise the legal rights of all Indigenous people within Australian. The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1990 is a set of policies, commencing 1st of January 1901. The Constitution has shaped Australian society, customs and practices, …show more content…
The Racial Discrimination Act (1975) (Cth) is “When a person is treated less favourably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status” (AHRC, 2016). Regrettably, racial discrimination is a reality within Australian society. Greens Senator, Rachel Siewert states, “Racial discrimination is embedded in the Australian Constitution and continues to be enacted in the laws and policies of our states and territories” (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2008). A study conducted in 2008 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that 1 in 10 (11%) between the ages of 15-24 felt they had been discriminated against in the past 12 months by police, security, lawyers or within the justice system for being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin (ABS, 2008). A further 58% reported experiencing discrimination in all the previous situations, all or most of the time (ABS, 2008). A comparable proportion of youth (10%) reported experiencing discrimination from members of the public, however, this was lower among youth residing in remote areas rather than metropolitan areas (7% and 11% respectively) (ABS, 2008). Further supporting these statistics is the discrimination towards the Indigenous community when applying for jobs, universities and educational services, a total of 6.5% in metropolitan areas and 4% in remote areas (ABS, 2008). The experiences of racial profiling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has wide-ranging effects on their wellbeing, both mentally and physically (ABS, 2008). Despite laws being introduced to better Australian society for all individuals, regardless of race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status. Anti-discrimination laws, such as the Racial Discrimination Act (1975), has failed to result in any