Arabic version: المفوضية الانتخابية الأسترالية تتخلى عن مقترح إعادة تسمية فرانكلين

According to ABC News, the Australian Electoral Commission has abandoned a proposal to rename Tasmania’s federal electorate of Franklin as Tongerlongeter, citing disagreement among Aboriginal organisations and individuals and calls for more consultation.

Franklin, which covers Hobart’s eastern shore and southern Tasmania, is named after former Tasmanian governor Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin. The proposed new name was intended to honour Tongerlongeter, an Aboriginal leader and warrior who died in 1837. Had it proceeded, it would have been the first Tasmanian electorate named after an Aboriginal person.

Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said the redistribution panel considered the case for the name strong because of Tongerlongeter’s connection to the area within Franklin’s new boundaries. But he said submissions showed differing views within the Tasmanian Aboriginal community and a broad view that further consultation was needed.

The Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre opposed the proposal, saying the warrior’s name was Tukalunginta. Campaign manager Nala Mansell said it made no sense to name a white political system after someone who resisted British invasion and called for earlier consultation with Aboriginal people.

The AEC consulted on new boundaries from October last year but announced the proposed name change on July 15, leaving seven days for further consultation. It received 272 written submissions after that announcement. The First Peoples (Tasmania) Aboriginal Corporation and Parrdarrama Pungenna Aboriginal Corporation endorsed Tongerlongeter. The commission said future redistributions would be the best time to consider electorate name changes with further consultation.