Controversial Senator David Leyonhjelm says there's no definitive proof that Aboriginal people were the first Australians and changing the constitution to reflect that would be racist. The Liberal Democrat has hit out at the Federal Government's proposed push to change legislation to recognise those of Aboriginal heritage as Australia's indigenous race. "First of all, it may not be true," Mr Leyonhjelm said on 3AW Drive. "Archeologists find interesting things all the time and there are some who say that it's just not true. We have to allow for the possibility that it may be proven wrong in the future."
Controversial Senator David Leyonhjelm says there's no definitive proof that Aboriginal people were the first Australians and changing the constitution to reflect that would be racist. The Liberal Democrat has hit out at the Federal Government's proposed push to change legislation to recognise those of Aboriginal heritage as Australia's indigenous race. "First of all, it may not be true," Mr Leyonhjelm said on 3AW Drive. "Archeologists find interesting things all the time and there are some who say that it's just not true. We have to allow for the possibility that it may be proven wrong in the future."
Mr Leyonhjelm, who also controversially suggested Australia's gun laws should be relaxed in the wake of the Sydney siege, told Tom Elliott changing the constitution was making one race "more special" than another.
"The bigger issue is that if you establish a special recognition for people based on their race, even with the best of intentions and good motives, it is still a kind of perverse racism," he explained.
"It's still treating somebody differently from everybody else on the basis of their race.
"My view is that we are all Australians, we are all special and nobody is more special than anybody else.
"We are all equal before the law, and the constitution and laws and so on should reflect that."