Mr ELFERINK - 1999-04-22
The recent visit to the Territory by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs has generated considerable publicity about attacks on the recommendations of the Reeve’s Inquiry into the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.
Can the minister confirm that there was an agreement before the committee to form a separate Anmatjere Land Council?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for MacDonnell for his question because I know he has interest in supporting Aboriginal people who want to have a separate land council.
The Anmatjere people have been seeking to establish a separate land council for over 10 years now, as they are allowed to do under the current Aboriginal Land Rights Act. It’s not new, it’s something that is within the act and they should have the right to do it.
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: Unfortunately, any Aboriginal group that seems to step out of line with the CLC’s policy seems to be subject to the most extraordinary scrutiny at times for their vocation. I notice the member for Stuart making some remarks there. He speaks passionately in this House about his support for Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal people, so why does he find it so impossible to support the Anmatjere people in their quest for a land council?
The Anmatjere Council is comprised of 9 very diverse communities and holding them together has not been easy. But their leader has, because they have a vision of economic development and the sharing of their traditional land and gaining independence. In fact, we will all remember that historic occasion in 1994 when the community of Ti Tree achieved an Australian first. It’s the first centre to have organisations from Aboriginal and the wider community form a local government authority. The amalgamation of the Ti Tree Progress Association and the Anmatjere Community Council occurred and was cause for great celebration and was recorded in the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation paper, Walking Together. So it can work.
Now the Anmatjere Community Council have experienced a lot of attacks on what they are doing, but all through it, they really haven’t lost sight of their long term goals because they want to embrace reconciliation in what I consider the truer sense. They want to be independent of the CLC and of course they want to have control of their property.
This whole issue was brought into the public arena again, as the member for MacDonnell, says by the recent of the House of Representatives Standing Committee which was inquiring into the Reeves Report. I’m a bit disturbed by what I heard about events that happened at Ti Tree and certainly were not reported. The member for the ALP for the Northern Territory in the federal arena, Mr Warren Snowdon actually launched an extraordinary personal attack on Mr Arthur Turner. He should show respect for that traditional Elder and that leader of the community. But he questioned and attacked Mr Turner on a matter that wasn’t even in the Reeves Report, just trying to put the man down and trying to get him unsettled.
I presume the attack was brought about by Mr Snowdon’s loyalty to the CLC, and the fact that he was previous employed by them.
But it wasn’t just that terrible personal attack on Mr Arthur Turner, he was even seen to be running around with the senior solicitor from the Central Land Council signing Aboriginal women up to say inane things such as: ‘The CLC is good for us. It gives us the right to hunt and forage on our lands’. Aboriginal people have always had that right to hunt and forage on their land under the laws of the Territory. Most of what was reported in the media was Aboriginal people standing up and saying they want their land. Nothing in the Reeves report says that if you have a smaller land council you’ll have your land taken away from you. But this idea seems to be perpetuated all the time.
There was a significant event that happened at Ti Tree. Arthur Turner argued passionately for the establishment of a separate Land Council. Clarrie Robinya from Laramba actually supported what Arthur Turner said. He said: ‘Although we don’t agree with breaking away ourselves, we’re willing to support you to have a separate Land Council and we will wait and see what happens and then we might decide to join with you’.
Now that was never reported. That was a very significant event that happened at the hearing. Unfortunately, the next day, the matter …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: was reported quite differently in the media. Yes, sure, you can have 2 sides…
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Why don’t you support the people who actually want to be independent? What are you frightened about? Why don’t you give them support?
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: It is 12 years since they made their first approach to government to have a separate land council. In spite of all this opposition they have remained determined in their resolve to have their own land council. But I don’t understand why the member for Stuart and the federal member won’t give their support to this group of people who have made a very determined and long term commitment to having their separate land council.
The Territory government submission to the Reeves Committee did not attack the land councils at all, but they are saying that if there is a desire by a small group of people to have their separate land councils give them support. Why don’t you give them your support, also?
Can the minister confirm that there was an agreement before the committee to form a separate Anmatjere Land Council?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the member for MacDonnell for his question because I know he has interest in supporting Aboriginal people who want to have a separate land council.
The Anmatjere people have been seeking to establish a separate land council for over 10 years now, as they are allowed to do under the current Aboriginal Land Rights Act. It’s not new, it’s something that is within the act and they should have the right to do it.
Mr Toyne interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: Unfortunately, any Aboriginal group that seems to step out of line with the CLC’s policy seems to be subject to the most extraordinary scrutiny at times for their vocation. I notice the member for Stuart making some remarks there. He speaks passionately in this House about his support for Aboriginal communities and Aboriginal people, so why does he find it so impossible to support the Anmatjere people in their quest for a land council?
The Anmatjere Council is comprised of 9 very diverse communities and holding them together has not been easy. But their leader has, because they have a vision of economic development and the sharing of their traditional land and gaining independence. In fact, we will all remember that historic occasion in 1994 when the community of Ti Tree achieved an Australian first. It’s the first centre to have organisations from Aboriginal and the wider community form a local government authority. The amalgamation of the Ti Tree Progress Association and the Anmatjere Community Council occurred and was cause for great celebration and was recorded in the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation paper, Walking Together. So it can work.
Now the Anmatjere Community Council have experienced a lot of attacks on what they are doing, but all through it, they really haven’t lost sight of their long term goals because they want to embrace reconciliation in what I consider the truer sense. They want to be independent of the CLC and of course they want to have control of their property.
This whole issue was brought into the public arena again, as the member for MacDonnell, says by the recent of the House of Representatives Standing Committee which was inquiring into the Reeves Report. I’m a bit disturbed by what I heard about events that happened at Ti Tree and certainly were not reported. The member for the ALP for the Northern Territory in the federal arena, Mr Warren Snowdon actually launched an extraordinary personal attack on Mr Arthur Turner. He should show respect for that traditional Elder and that leader of the community. But he questioned and attacked Mr Turner on a matter that wasn’t even in the Reeves Report, just trying to put the man down and trying to get him unsettled.
I presume the attack was brought about by Mr Snowdon’s loyalty to the CLC, and the fact that he was previous employed by them.
But it wasn’t just that terrible personal attack on Mr Arthur Turner, he was even seen to be running around with the senior solicitor from the Central Land Council signing Aboriginal women up to say inane things such as: ‘The CLC is good for us. It gives us the right to hunt and forage on our lands’. Aboriginal people have always had that right to hunt and forage on their land under the laws of the Territory. Most of what was reported in the media was Aboriginal people standing up and saying they want their land. Nothing in the Reeves report says that if you have a smaller land council you’ll have your land taken away from you. But this idea seems to be perpetuated all the time.
There was a significant event that happened at Ti Tree. Arthur Turner argued passionately for the establishment of a separate Land Council. Clarrie Robinya from Laramba actually supported what Arthur Turner said. He said: ‘Although we don’t agree with breaking away ourselves, we’re willing to support you to have a separate Land Council and we will wait and see what happens and then we might decide to join with you’.
Now that was never reported. That was a very significant event that happened at the hearing. Unfortunately, the next day, the matter …
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: was reported quite differently in the media. Yes, sure, you can have 2 sides…
Members interjecting.
Mrs BRAHAM: Why don’t you support the people who actually want to be independent? What are you frightened about? Why don’t you give them support?
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mrs BRAHAM: It is 12 years since they made their first approach to government to have a separate land council. In spite of all this opposition they have remained determined in their resolve to have their own land council. But I don’t understand why the member for Stuart and the federal member won’t give their support to this group of people who have made a very determined and long term commitment to having their separate land council.
The Territory government submission to the Reeves Committee did not attack the land councils at all, but they are saying that if there is a desire by a small group of people to have their separate land councils give them support. Why don’t you give them your support, also?
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016