Hartcher in typical Conservative fashion takes us down the descriptive road of what should never have happened in the first place. His apparent neutrality is in fact the opposite. History shows Australia to be the only British settler colony that never bothered about a treaty with the first owners of this land. Treating what has happened as if was normal,not wrong and that the past is way too difficult to change.

Surely if the history of the damage done was rewritten and taught in schools as has been done in Germany post WW2 any changes to our Constitution would be easy and seen as a necessary conclusion rather than the “fait a accompli” Hartcher describes. But the Conservative’s primary goal is to not change Australian or even British history as we know it because with it comes guilt, shame and an Inglorious past.

It’s a brave prime minister who tries to change the constitution without the support of the opposition. No constitutional referendum in Australia’s history has succeeded without agreement of both major parties.

Source: Voice to parliament: Dutton walked out of the Apology. Now he’ll walk out on the Voice