to THE AUSTRALIAN
Mark Leibler too easily dismisses the case against constitutional recognition (‘Indigenous voice to Parliament: a unifying idea’, 18/7). The deep concerns that have been expressed by many articulate and responsible commentators that any such recognition would be fundamentally unjust and a danger to our national unity and security cannot fairly be summed up as ‘cynicism and mean-spiritedness’. Nor is the stereotyping of men like Keith Windschuttle, John Roskam, Greg Sheridan and Gary Johns as ‘naysayers and scaremongers’ the least bit credible.
As for the Referendum Council’s two recommendations, an advisory body of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders can be set up without any tampering with the Constitution; and the ‘declaration of recognition’ is simply redundant.
NJ, Belgrave, Vic