The small brown bird: Values and aspirations in the Australian Constitution

Abstract

This article addresses the disinclination of Australians to treat their Constitution as a source of shared values or aspirations. In this article, the authors argue that there is, nonetheless, a meaningful way that the Australian Constitution articulates the values of the Australian people. Moreover, it is argued that recent movements for constitutional reform suggest a shift in Australian constitutional culture towards an acceptance that the Constitution does and should define the values of the Australian people.