Mr TOYNE - 1999-06-03
Where do you stand on the recommendations of the Reeves’ report into the Aboriginal Land Rights Act?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, where I stand on the Reeves’ report is where this government stands on the Reeves’ report and the government’s position will be put to the Commonwealth committee. Let’s remember the inquiry into the Reeves’ report is a Commonwealth initiative not a Territory initiative and it’s this Territory …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: This government, will present the position of the Northern Territory Government to that committee in our time.
Mr Stirling: But don’t tell Territorians.
Mr BURKE: In our time, at our time and we will tell Territorians, but we’ll do it in the appropriate way. What we should ask …
Mr Bailey: Not in parliament?
Mr BURKE: What we should do …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr BURKE: We will do it at the timing of this government not at the utterings of that hopeless rabble on my other side. But this question is an interesting one. Why do they ask a question on the Reeves’ report today?
Mr Bailey: Because you weren’t here yesterday.
Mr Stirling: We couldn’t find you yesterday.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I surmise the reason for asking this question. The opposition are trying to find some way they can break the negotiations that are occurring most successfully with the Northern and Central Land Councils and the Northern Territory government in trying to get a workable native title regime in accordance with the Commonwealth …
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: They are trying to get some statement that they can use to go out to the Northern and Central Land Councils and show that there is not good faith and good effort by the Northern Territory government in establishing, as that Foundations For Our Growth document says, partnerships with Aboriginal people. If you want to make any statements about what is this Northern Territory government’s attitude to Aboriginal issues, what is this Northern Territory government’s attitude to native title issues, take heed of the words of Senator Harradine. Senator Harradine has been negotiating with the Northern Territory government with regards to his support or otherwise for progressing these native title amendments through the Senate.
Senator Harradine is, I think it is fair to say, a self-appointed champion of the Aboriginal cause in getting these amendments and this legislation that is in the hands of state and territory jurisdictions in a way that he confidently believes is workable and meets the intent of the Commonwealth parliament and that he is sure is of no detriment to the Aboriginal people.
Mr Ah Kit: When is your government going to learn? He’s sent it back twice.
Mr BURKE: The member for Arnhem says this has been sent back twice.
Mr Ah Kit: It went down and it got sent back.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I will pick up on that interjection. The member for Arnhem said it’s been sent back twice. That’s not failure, that’s called effort.
And I’ll tell you what, I’m introducing further amendments ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is just too much interjection at present. Calm it down, please.
Mr BURKE: I am introducing further amendments in this House in this sittings and the reason I’m introducing further amendments is to show the good faith with which this government is negotiating with the Northern and Central Land Councils to get a regime in place that they are comfortable with.
Now, that’s the effort and when Senator Harradine ...
Ms Martin: This is a separate issue. We are asking ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will have her chance later on today to debate this if she wishes. This is Question Time.
Mr BURKE: Soon, the Leader of the Opposition and her rag-tag mob will be irrelevant in land rights issues, because we’ll deal with the people who we will deal with on native title issues, the Northern and Central Land Councils, and I’m very hopeful - this can always fall - but I’m very hopeful we can maintain the good faith and effort as recognised by Senator Harradine, who has said that this is historic. Now, that’s not bad for the Northern Territory government. It is historic, the efforts that this Northern Territory government have made in working with the 2 large land councils in setting up a regime, a workable regime, that meets various accommodations and concerns to get that in place for the future.
That is a central plank of my effort. I believe it’s critical again to the development of the Northern Territory. It’s critical in terms of partnerships with Aboriginal people in the future.
There is no seditious effort from this government, but one might ask what is the intent of that question in terms of upsetting the process. Because that’s your intent. I’m meeting with Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu tomorrow on a number of issues, not the least of which will be discussed is certainly the native title amendments that are going through, and I’ll also take the opportunity to raise statehood with him.
I have maintained a dialogue. I am hopeful of success. One can always be disappointed at the end of the day, but certainly to date, the land councils, through their lawyers, and Senator Harradine is certainly comfortable with the process. I’m bringing through further amendments to show our bona fides so there is absolute insurance to the agreements that we have made. We must get these amendments through. The opportunity is there and it would be a great sadness for the Northern Territory if this process was stymied, and I can tell you that that is the intent of this question - to stop the process.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, where I stand on the Reeves’ report is where this government stands on the Reeves’ report and the government’s position will be put to the Commonwealth committee. Let’s remember the inquiry into the Reeves’ report is a Commonwealth initiative not a Territory initiative and it’s this Territory …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: This government, will present the position of the Northern Territory Government to that committee in our time.
Mr Stirling: But don’t tell Territorians.
Mr BURKE: In our time, at our time and we will tell Territorians, but we’ll do it in the appropriate way. What we should ask …
Mr Bailey: Not in parliament?
Mr BURKE: What we should do …
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr BURKE: We will do it at the timing of this government not at the utterings of that hopeless rabble on my other side. But this question is an interesting one. Why do they ask a question on the Reeves’ report today?
Mr Bailey: Because you weren’t here yesterday.
Mr Stirling: We couldn’t find you yesterday.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I surmise the reason for asking this question. The opposition are trying to find some way they can break the negotiations that are occurring most successfully with the Northern and Central Land Councils and the Northern Territory government in trying to get a workable native title regime in accordance with the Commonwealth …
Members interjecting.
Mr BURKE: They are trying to get some statement that they can use to go out to the Northern and Central Land Councils and show that there is not good faith and good effort by the Northern Territory government in establishing, as that Foundations For Our Growth document says, partnerships with Aboriginal people. If you want to make any statements about what is this Northern Territory government’s attitude to Aboriginal issues, what is this Northern Territory government’s attitude to native title issues, take heed of the words of Senator Harradine. Senator Harradine has been negotiating with the Northern Territory government with regards to his support or otherwise for progressing these native title amendments through the Senate.
Senator Harradine is, I think it is fair to say, a self-appointed champion of the Aboriginal cause in getting these amendments and this legislation that is in the hands of state and territory jurisdictions in a way that he confidently believes is workable and meets the intent of the Commonwealth parliament and that he is sure is of no detriment to the Aboriginal people.
Mr Ah Kit: When is your government going to learn? He’s sent it back twice.
Mr BURKE: The member for Arnhem says this has been sent back twice.
Mr Ah Kit: It went down and it got sent back.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr BURKE: I will pick up on that interjection. The member for Arnhem said it’s been sent back twice. That’s not failure, that’s called effort.
And I’ll tell you what, I’m introducing further amendments ...
Mr Bailey interjecting.
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is just too much interjection at present. Calm it down, please.
Mr BURKE: I am introducing further amendments in this House in this sittings and the reason I’m introducing further amendments is to show the good faith with which this government is negotiating with the Northern and Central Land Councils to get a regime in place that they are comfortable with.
Now, that’s the effort and when Senator Harradine ...
Ms Martin: This is a separate issue. We are asking ...
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will have her chance later on today to debate this if she wishes. This is Question Time.
Mr BURKE: Soon, the Leader of the Opposition and her rag-tag mob will be irrelevant in land rights issues, because we’ll deal with the people who we will deal with on native title issues, the Northern and Central Land Councils, and I’m very hopeful - this can always fall - but I’m very hopeful we can maintain the good faith and effort as recognised by Senator Harradine, who has said that this is historic. Now, that’s not bad for the Northern Territory government. It is historic, the efforts that this Northern Territory government have made in working with the 2 large land councils in setting up a regime, a workable regime, that meets various accommodations and concerns to get that in place for the future.
That is a central plank of my effort. I believe it’s critical again to the development of the Northern Territory. It’s critical in terms of partnerships with Aboriginal people in the future.
There is no seditious effort from this government, but one might ask what is the intent of that question in terms of upsetting the process. Because that’s your intent. I’m meeting with Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu tomorrow on a number of issues, not the least of which will be discussed is certainly the native title amendments that are going through, and I’ll also take the opportunity to raise statehood with him.
I have maintained a dialogue. I am hopeful of success. One can always be disappointed at the end of the day, but certainly to date, the land councils, through their lawyers, and Senator Harradine is certainly comfortable with the process. I’m bringing through further amendments to show our bona fides so there is absolute insurance to the agreements that we have made. We must get these amendments through. The opportunity is there and it would be a great sadness for the Northern Territory if this process was stymied, and I can tell you that that is the intent of this question - to stop the process.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016