An Australian opposition lawmaker yesterday quit the shadow Cabinet in disagreement with his Liberal Party’s decision to campaign against a proposal to constitutionally recognize the nation’s Aboriginal and Torres Island people.
Explaining his decision to resign as shadow attorney general and shadow minister for indigenous Australians, Julian Leeser said he was unable to persuade his Liberal colleagues to support the proposed constitutional changes.
While the Liberal Party supports recognition of indigenous people in the constitution, it opposes the combined proposal for the establishment of an indigenous advisory group to parliament, which is also to be decided in a referendum expected later this year.
Photo: AP
“I resign without rancor or bitterness and I remain a loyal Liberal,” Leeser said during a media briefing, pledging his support to opposition leader Peter Dutton.
Leaving the shadow Cabinet would give Leeser the freedom to campaign for the recognition of Australia’s Aboriginal people in the constitution and the establishment of an indigenous advisory group, called the “Voice.”
Dutton described Leeser as “a great advocate of many causes,” but told reporters his stand on the referendum was at odds with the majority of Liberal lawmakers.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, who represent about 3.2 percent of the nation’s population of nearly 26 million, are currently not mentioned in its 122-year-old constitution.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has staked significant political capital on the referendum, welcomed Leeser’s decision.
Lesser “has made a principled decision to campaign for a yes vote at the referendum, like so many people from all sides of politics who are approaching this process in good faith,” Albanese said on Twitter.
A beauty queen who pulled out of the Miss South Africa competition when her nationality was questioned has said she wants to relocate to Nigeria, after coming second in the Miss Universe pageant while representing the West African country. Chidimma Adetshina, whose father is Nigerian, was crowned Miss Universe Africa and Oceania and was runner-up to Denmark’s Victoria Kjar Theilvig in Mexico on Saturday night. The 23-year-old law student withdrew from the Miss South Africa competition in August, saying that she needed to protect herself and her family after the government alleged that her mother had stolen the identity of a South
BELT-TIGHTENING: Chinese investments in Cambodia are projected to drop to US$35 million in 2026 from more than US$420 million in 2021 At a ceremony in August, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet knelt to receive blessings from saffron-robed monks as fireworks and balloons heralded the breaking of ground for a canal he hoped would transform his country’s economic fortunes. Addressing hundreds of people waving the Cambodian flag, Hun Manet said China would contribute 49 percent to the funding of the Funan Techo Canal that would link the Mekong River to the Gulf of Thailand and reduce Cambodia’s shipping reliance on Vietnam. Cambodia’s government estimates the strategic, if contentious, infrastructure project would cost US$1.7 billion, nearly 4 percent of the nation’s annual GDP. However, months later,
Texas’ education board on Friday voted to allow Bible-infused teachings in elementary schools, joining other Republican-led US states that pushed this year to give religion a larger presence in public classrooms. The curriculum adopted by the Texas State Board of Education, which is controlled by elected Republicans, is optional for schools to adopt, but they would receive additional funding if they do so. The materials could appear in classrooms as early as next school year. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has voiced support for the lesson plans, which were provided by the state’s education agency that oversees the more than
Ireland, the UK and France faced travel chaos on Saturday and one person died as a winter storm battered northwest Europe with strong winds, heavy rain, snow and ice. Hampshire Police in southern England said a man died after a tree fell onto a car on a major road near Winchester early in the day. Police in West Yorkshire said they were probing whether a second death from a traffic incident was linked to the storm. It is understood the road was not icy at the time of the incident. Storm Bert left at least 60,000 properties in Ireland without power, and closed
RSS