1967 Referendum Role Cards

Name:

Date:

🏛️ Role Card A: Government Representative

Your Role:

You are a Member of Parliament supporting the 1967 referendum to change the Constitution. You believe this change is necessary for Australia's progress and international reputation.

Your Key Concerns & Goals:

• Modernising Australia's Constitution to reflect contemporary values

• Ensuring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are counted in the census

• Giving the Commonwealth government power to make laws for Indigenous Australians

• Improving Australia's international image regarding human rights

• Addressing discrimination and inequality through federal legislation

Your Arguments for the Role-Play:

Use these talking points: "This referendum will correct historical injustices..." "The Commonwealth needs constitutional power to create uniform laws..." "Other democratic nations recognise all citizens equally..."

✊ Role Card B: Indigenous Leader

Your Role:

You are an Aboriginal rights activist who has campaigned for constitutional recognition. You see this referendum as a crucial step towards equality, but you also understand it's just the beginning of a longer journey.

Your Key Concerns & Goals:

• Achieving basic recognition as Australian citizens in the Constitution

• Ending the exclusion of Aboriginal people from the census count

• Opening pathways for land rights and self-determination

• Addressing decades of discriminatory laws and policies

• Ensuring the referendum leads to real, practical improvements

Your Arguments for the Role-Play:

Use these talking points: "We have been excluded for too long..." "This is about basic human dignity and citizenship..." "Constitutional change must lead to practical improvements in our lives..."

🗳️ Role Card C: Australian Voter

Your Role:

You are an ordinary Australian voter in 1967. You want to make an informed decision about the referendum, but you have questions about what the changes will actually mean for the country.

Your Key Concerns & Goals:

• Understanding exactly what constitutional changes are being proposed

• Knowing how these changes will affect everyday life in Australia

• Ensuring the changes are fair and beneficial for all Australians

• Learning about the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Making a decision based on facts, not just emotions or propaganda

Questions You Might Ask During Role-Play:

Consider asking: "What exactly will change if I vote Yes?" "How will this affect government spending?" "What do Aboriginal people actually want?" "Why is this referendum necessary now?"

Success Criteria - After the role-play, I can:

Explain the main arguments for and against the 1967 referendum

Identify the key stakeholders and their different perspectives

Understand why constitutional change requires broad community support

Analyse how the referendum process allows democratic participation

1967 Referendum Role Cards

1967 Referendum Role Cards

🏛️ Role Card A: Government Representative

✊ Role Card B: Indigenous Leader

🗳️ Role Card C: Australian Voter

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