I don't really see the relevance of what you parents did. Maybe the Aborigines inhabited the Australian continent, living long, healthy and fulfilling lives in harmony with the environment and their co-inhabitants. Then came along the sickly English invaders, murdering, pillaging, and spreading diseases.

Alternatively, the Aboriginal population may have suffered the tragic decimation common to many primitive cultures encountering technically and socially advanced civilisations.

Surely what matters is that people have the opportunity to develop without prejudice, and that should depend upon the person, their inclinations and abilities, not their ancestry or heritage. I see equal treatment of all citizens as a worthy goal. I don't see how the constitutional establishment of heritage based privilege will achieve this.

Well said Fester ! SD

Jose'

What are you going on about, 33,554,432, redo your calculations the answer is 33,554,433, you missed one, did you run out of fingers and toes?

Paul I could only go 2,500 and realized the 65,000 was a beat up on the proposed long life and healthy life theory that it was a myth. lots of young women dies in childbirth and the child also did not survive. Malnutrition and tribal wars took out many before the settlers arrived.

I remember while in Alice in 1961 building a home and school for aboriginal children in the out-of-town camp, so they would not be removed from their family connection a young 21 year old mother died during childbirth, and we had to dig the grave hold the burial ceremony and commit her to the ground. No one of her friends or relatives were present, as in their culture the dead were not mourned. At the time I thought this was sad.

Paul,

It's good that you agree with the claim that Aboriginal culture has not remained unchanged for 60 000 years is bollocks.

As for life expectancy, you have nothing other than wishful thinking to show that pre-civilisation Australia had a longer life expectancy than the British.

Dear Fester,

First Nations communities are rarely invited to the table
to make decisions that affect their lives and lands. Yes we
do have some Indigenous people in our parliament but they
represent their parties and their electorates, and not
the First Nations people. First Nations people are not
recognised in our 122 year old Constitution. First Nations
people have asked for that recognition to be through something
very practical and simple - a Voice to Parliament.

This means having a say in matters that affect their families
and communities. It's about making sure the real experts in
communities - grassroots First Nations people can give advice
to Parliament and the government about issues that affect their
families and communities.

Constitutional recognition through the Voice will help us as
a nation take steps towards delivering a better future for
the First Nations people of Australia.

We are now closer than we've ever been to secure Constitutional
recognition for the First Peoples of Australia through a
Voice to Parliament. This is an opportunity for all
Australians to play a part in history and do the right thing.