Abbott rejects consultation with Aboriginals before 'recognition' in Constitution

Such a move would not gain broader support, says Abbott

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has rejected the proposal of consulting Aboriginal people first before recognising them in the Constitution.

According to BBC, Abbott said that such a move would not gain broader support.

Aboriginal leaders are angry with Abbott, who has rejected the idea of holding indigenous-specific meetings first on grounds that it 'risked creating a log of claims' and saying that he was in favour of building a national consensus 'in favour of a particular form of recognition' rather than an 'indigenous one'.

Indigenous Australians are not mentioned in the Constitution and a treaty was never negotiated with them.