In order to get more accurate results, our search has the following Google-Type search functionality:
If you use '+' in front of a word, then that word will be present in the search results.
ex: Harry +Potter will return results with the word 'Potter'.
If you use '-' in front of a word, then that word will be absent in the search results.
ex: Harry -Potter will return results without the word 'Potter'.
If you use 'AND' between two words, then both of those words will be present in the search results.
ex: Harry AND Potter will return results with both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
If you use 'OR' between two words, then bth of those words may or may not be present in the search results.
ex: Harry OR Potter will return results with just 'Harry', results with just 'Potter' and results with both 'Harry' and 'Potter'.
If you use 'NOT' before a word, then that word will be absent in the search results.
ex: Harry NOT Potter will return results without the word 'Potter'.
Placing '""' around words will perform a phrase search. The search results will contain those words in that order.
ex: "Harry Potter" will return any results with 'Harry Potter' in them, but not 'Potter Harry'.
Using '*' in a word will perform a wildcard search. The '*' signifies any number of characters. Searches can not start with a wildcard.
ex: Pot*er will return results with words starting with 'Pot' and ending in 'er'. In this case, 'Potter' will be a match.
Forty-four attempts have been made to change the Australian Constitution since Federation in 1901 but only eight of those attempts have been successful.
In 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese decided to launch another attempt at constitutional amendment. His intention: to hold a referendum proposing to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the Constitution.
Advocates for the Voice appear to think the unquestionable goodwill which all Australians bear towards their Indigenous sisters and brothers will be enough to ensure a successful outcome. But success is far from assured.
Not only has little detail been given to the Australian people about the proposed constitutional changes; more importantly, at the 2022 federal election eleven Indigenous Australians were elected to the Commonwealth Parliament.
Many Australians believe this result represents the best possible Indigenous 'voice' to parliament.
In Beyond Belief: Rethinking the Voice to Parliament, twelve distinguished Australians set out their reasons why we need to question the wisdom of enshrining a Voice to parliament by amending the Constitution.
Some of these reasons are legal, political and constitutional; but others express concern that constitutional amendment will do nothing to address the social disadvantage endured by many Indigenous Australians - a burden which weighs heavily on each of the contributors.
Beyond Belief: Rethinking the Voice to Parliament will equip Australians who have their own doubts about the proposed referendum with informed and compelling reasons for deciding to vote 'No' when asked to change our nation's founding document. Peter Kurti is Director of the Culture, Prosperity & Civil Society program at the Centre for Independent Studies.
Nyunggai Warren Mundine AO is Director of the Indigenous Forum at the Centre for Independent Studies, and Chairman and Managing Director of the Nyunggai Plack Group.
CONTENTS
The Uluru Statement from the Heart
Foreword Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
Introduction
1 The Voice: A Plea to Reconsider Tony Abbott
2 The Voice: Self-determination or separatism? Anthony Dillon
3 The Voice: Beyond Belief? Janet Albrechtsen
4 Constitutional Change by Stealth Chris Merritt
5 What Conservative Voice supporters get Wrong about Constitutional Recognition Bernard Samuelson 6 The Indigenous Voice does Not Speak for Country Nyunggai Warren Mundine
7 Head over Heart: The Legal, Democratic and Practical Problems raised by the Uluru Statement Amanda Stoker
8 It's OK to say 'No' to Indigenous Recognition in the Constitution Scott Prasser
9 Indigenous Social Justice won't be solved with Poetic Justice Neenah Gray
10 The Voice: What are We Being Asked to Decide? Caroline Di Russo
11 Constitutional Recognition is Not Necessary for Integration - Australia's Migrant Story tells us so Rocco Loiacono
12 The Voice in the Light of the Western Intellectual Tradition Henry Ergas