Mr ELFERINK - 1997-12-02
Yesterday, a land council attacked the appointment of John Reeves QC to review the Aboriginal Land Rights Act. Is the Chief Minister aware of a concerted and deliberate campaign by the land councils to discredit and damage Mr Reeves even before his long-overdue review has started?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a matter of grave concern to learn that both the Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council have been attempting to discredit John Reeves who was appointed the chairman of this review ...
Mr Ah Kit: Hear, hear!
Mr STONE: That is a very welcome interjection from the member for Arnhem. Perhaps he might speak with his colleagues in the land councils and tell them that they do Aboriginal people an enormous disservice when they send out publications like the one I have been handed. It is entitled Our Land, Our Law: A Plain English Summary. It makes this reference to Mr Reeves:
Mr Reeves does not agree with these principles [of Aboriginal land rights]. Mr Reeves has said he will think about whether
the veto over mining should be removed, whether Aboriginal land can be compulsorily acquired - that is, taken away -
by the Northern Territory government, whether Aboriginal land can be sold, whether the Land Rights Act should be run by
the Territory government, and whether land councils should be broken up or abolished - that is, finished up.
The reality is quite clearly that, as the chairman of the review, he will receive a raft of submissions across a range of issues, and it is plainly wrong for the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council to pre-empt or in some way try to intimidate the chairman of the review. I hope that Mr Tracker Tilmouth and Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu will have the good sense to withdraw these sorts of publications which are being peddled around Aboriginal communities.
It goes without saying that we all want the best outcome for Territorians and for Aboriginal Territorians. We will not achieve it if there are no amendments to the current act. The very fact that land cannot be acquired compulsorily for public purposes - that is, for the building of important infrastructure such as roads - militates against the provision of services to Aboriginal people. There are many shortcomings in this legislation. We live in a democracy. People will have an opportunity to have their say. I appeal to the land councils to stop circulating this nonsense in their communities and driving an agenda of fear and loathing against Mr Reeves even before he arrives in the bush.
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ANSWER
Madam Speaker, it is a matter of grave concern to learn that both the Central Land Council and the Northern Land Council have been attempting to discredit John Reeves who was appointed the chairman of this review ...
Mr Ah Kit: Hear, hear!
Mr STONE: That is a very welcome interjection from the member for Arnhem. Perhaps he might speak with his colleagues in the land councils and tell them that they do Aboriginal people an enormous disservice when they send out publications like the one I have been handed. It is entitled Our Land, Our Law: A Plain English Summary. It makes this reference to Mr Reeves:
Mr Reeves does not agree with these principles [of Aboriginal land rights]. Mr Reeves has said he will think about whether
the veto over mining should be removed, whether Aboriginal land can be compulsorily acquired - that is, taken away -
by the Northern Territory government, whether Aboriginal land can be sold, whether the Land Rights Act should be run by
the Territory government, and whether land councils should be broken up or abolished - that is, finished up.
The reality is quite clearly that, as the chairman of the review, he will receive a raft of submissions across a range of issues, and it is plainly wrong for the Northern Land Council and the Central Land Council to pre-empt or in some way try to intimidate the chairman of the review. I hope that Mr Tracker Tilmouth and Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu will have the good sense to withdraw these sorts of publications which are being peddled around Aboriginal communities.
It goes without saying that we all want the best outcome for Territorians and for Aboriginal Territorians. We will not achieve it if there are no amendments to the current act. The very fact that land cannot be acquired compulsorily for public purposes - that is, for the building of important infrastructure such as roads - militates against the provision of services to Aboriginal people. There are many shortcomings in this legislation. We live in a democracy. People will have an opportunity to have their say. I appeal to the land councils to stop circulating this nonsense in their communities and driving an agenda of fear and loathing against Mr Reeves even before he arrives in the bush.
Page 51
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016