Monarchists, business welcome roadmap for constitutional reform

Monarchists and the business council have welcomed a “sound roadmap” towards rec­ognising indigenous Australians in the Constitution.

Prof. David Flint addresses the "Rotten to the Core" rally in front of Parliament House in Canberra today.

Monarchists and the business council have welcomed a “sound roadmap” towards rec­ognising indigenous Australians in the Constitution, amid warnings from conservative MPs that compromise is still needed to achieve reform.

A parliamentary inquiry has proposed recognising indigenous Australians in the Constitution, along with a racial non-discrimination clause and the removal of outdated references to race.

The report has also endorsed a series of national conventions to refine the referendum model.

Australians for Constitutional Monarchy head David Flint said the national convention process was needed to gain widespread support, but he was personally “wary” of a non-­discrimination clause.

He said ACM believed that people should “be involved from the beginning rather than merely at the end of this process”.

“The task of the national constitutional convention would be to decide on the format of any referendum or referendums to be put to the people.”

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the committee had outlined “clear options” to progress towards a referendum on constitutional change slated for 2017.

“The substance of the committee’s position aligns with BCA principles of fairness, shared prosperity and the need for social and economic conditions that support all Australians to realise their potential.”

Conservative MPs warned that the proposal would need to be moderated to win support from those wanting a minimalist approach.

This comes after Cape York leader Noel Pearson said there remained an unbridged “gulf” between those wanting recognition and those wanting to uphold the Constitution’s integrity.

Liberal MP Alex Hawke said there was broad support for removing parts of the Constitution that were racist, but he believed most conservatives in the ­Coalition partyroom adopted a “minimalist position”.