Recognition 'will help to close the gap'

RECOGNISING the first Australians in the Constitution will help close the indigenous disadvantage gap and herald an era of unity.

RECOGNISING the first Australians in the Constitution will help close the indigenous disadvantage gap and herald a new era of formal national unity.

Young indigenous leader Tanya Hosch will today outline the practical and symbolic benefits expected to flow from constitutional recognition in a speech to launch a national campaign to build support ahead of a referendum on the issue.

This Sunday, which is National Sorry Day, Ms Hosch will launch the Journey to Recognition from Melbourne's Federation Square, a relay to the Northern Territory.

Changing the Constitution to acknowledge indigenous Australians has bipartisan support.

Julia Gillard has expressed passionate support for the change while Tony Abbott said recently that until Australia acknowledged its Aboriginal heritage the nation would be torn.

Ms Hosch, the deputy director of the Recognise campaign, will deliver an address to private firm Sinclair Knight Merz in Melbourne today, arguing that changing the Constitution is a "great moment in history" that now lies within our grasp. "It offers the promise of a fresh start; the chance to be our better selves," she will say.

The Recognise campaign wants Australians to be aware that the referendum, now likely to take place in two years, is the nation's once-in-a-generation chance to reach true reconciliation.

"And if we do not fix this, we will be making the choice to spend another generation living apart," Ms Hosch will say. "On referendum day Australians will be making a choice between a new era of formal unity in our nation's charter - or another generation of separation and exclusion."

She will warn that to continue the constitutional silence "about us would send the message that we are not valued, not respected, and not included in the life of the nation".

The deputy campaign director of the Recognise campaign will say the choice that would be before us on referendum day is for unity rather than separation.

"We can choose unity through constitutional recognition - or separation for another generation.

"We cannot afford another generation of deep divide between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and non-indigenous Australians. We need to be clear what is at risk if this referendum does not succeed."

She will say symbolic and practical change for indigenous Australians go hand-in-glove.

"They are not an either/or," she will say. "It is not a choice between having a constitution that recognises us or faster gains in closing the gap. We can and should have both.

"There are those who dismiss this as symbolism, who say it won't change a thing; won't educate a single child; won't create a single job and won't improve health or life expectancy or living standards.

"That's not just plain wrong; it's also beside the point. Symbolic statements are important. They remind us of our duties and obligations to each other."

Ms Hosch will warn against rushing to come up with the wording for the change, arguing that building awareness that change is necessary is more fundamental.