The West Australian Council of Social Service are pleased to invite you to the: Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Social Policy Forum.

You may be surprised and alarmed to learn that the Australian Constitution permits laws that discriminate on the basis of race. The Australian Constitution is the legal and political foundation of our nation but it doesn’t acknowledge the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our historical or contemporary society.

The Commonwealth Government has appointed an expert panel to lead a national conversation about constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples WACOSS invites community sector organisations to meet panel members, learn more about the issues and contribute to the discussion on historic constitutional change in Australia.

Meet the following panel members:

The Hon Fred Chaney AO was born in Perth, Western Australia and was awarded an Order of Australia in 1997. He is Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia and a Board Director with Reconciliation Australia.

Mr Bill Lawson AM is an Engineer and a Principal of Sinclair Knight Merz where he is Manager of the Indigenous Sector and Group Manager of the Company’s global Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

• When: Monday, 12 September 2011
• Time: 2pm to 4pm
• Where: Room 7, City West Lotteries House
• Cost: Free
• Please RSVP online now at: http://www.wacosstraining.org.au/index.cfm/booking.388