Mr SETTER - 1997-04-30
In the light of his meeting with the Prime Minister and state premiers in Canberra on Monday, and his statement to this House yesterday, what is his response to a report in today's NT News that a member of the Larrakia people has indicated that a further 3 native title claims to areas around Darwin will be announced later this year?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yesterday, a spokesman for the Larrakia people issued a media release which indicated that the Larrakia people would continue to fight for native title. In today's
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newspaper, a statement was reported that a further 3 claims would be made over areas in Darwin. I understand why the Larrakia people would be upset. However, they are upset and angry at the wrong people.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Arnhem may laugh, but let Territorians who are listening to this broadcast understand ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell: Good grief! You are extraordinary!
Mr STONE: The member for MacDonnell and the member for Arnhem are hardly setting a good example for the schoolchildren who are sitting in the gallery, witnessing constant interjection and interruption. I am sure that people listening at home also would like to hear the answer.
The Larrakia people have every right to be angry, disillusioned and upset, but they should direct their anger at the right people. Those people are the NLC and the Labor Party because they spun the line ...
Mr Ah Kit: You do not want to talk about it.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Arnhem. If he bothered to ask representatives of the Larrakia people, he would be told that, over the last 2 years, I had met with them with a view to working in a constructive way towards their achieving their aspirations. That process was progressing very well until, out of left field, came this ambit claim over Darwin. Those are not my words but those of Senator Bob Collins and the Leader of the Opposition. They said it was an ambit claim. If the Larrakia believe for one moment that they can maintain a position of having so-called discussions with the government in good faith and then, out of the blue, slap an ambit claim over the whole of Darwin and think that life can just go on as before, they have been misled. I know that Territorians support my view. The Larrakia people were misled by the NLC, which talked them into this folly, and they were actively encouraged by the Labor Party.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition interjects, but the reality is that she knew about this claim. We know that. She knew about it, she encouraged it and she defended it. The Leader of the Opposition said that, as far as she was concerned, this claim was okay. It was kosher. It was fine. She supported the right of the Larrakia to bring the claim and everything that was entailed in the claim. She has had ample opportunity to refute that allegation but, every time we have tried to debate native title in this Chamber, members opposite have run for cover. They did not want to be part of the debate. They did not want to have the discussion. I say to members opposite that, if they believe in it, if they support it, they
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should stand up and say so unequivocally. They say one thing to constituents in urban areas, and another thing to Aboriginal Territorians. Those people are starting to wake up to the Labor Party, because they recognise that it is not straight with them. At least Aboriginal Territorians know where I stand, but members of the opposition say one thing in here and another thing behind their hands when they are talking to their suburban constituents. We know. We hear about it. It is related back to us.
If a further 3 claims are to be made to areas in Darwin, then I demand that the Leader of the Opposition tell us exactly where those claim areas are. Quite clearly, she is an accomplice in all of this, together with the Northern Land Council.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, yesterday, a spokesman for the Larrakia people issued a media release which indicated that the Larrakia people would continue to fight for native title. In today's
Page 2086
newspaper, a statement was reported that a further 3 claims would be made over areas in Darwin. I understand why the Larrakia people would be upset. However, they are upset and angry at the wrong people.
Mr Ah Kit interjecting.
Mr STONE: The member for Arnhem may laugh, but let Territorians who are listening to this broadcast understand ...
Members interjecting.
Mr SPEAKER: Order!
Mr Bell: Good grief! You are extraordinary!
Mr STONE: The member for MacDonnell and the member for Arnhem are hardly setting a good example for the schoolchildren who are sitting in the gallery, witnessing constant interjection and interruption. I am sure that people listening at home also would like to hear the answer.
The Larrakia people have every right to be angry, disillusioned and upset, but they should direct their anger at the right people. Those people are the NLC and the Labor Party because they spun the line ...
Mr Ah Kit: You do not want to talk about it.
Mr STONE: I will pick up the interjection from the member for Arnhem. If he bothered to ask representatives of the Larrakia people, he would be told that, over the last 2 years, I had met with them with a view to working in a constructive way towards their achieving their aspirations. That process was progressing very well until, out of left field, came this ambit claim over Darwin. Those are not my words but those of Senator Bob Collins and the Leader of the Opposition. They said it was an ambit claim. If the Larrakia believe for one moment that they can maintain a position of having so-called discussions with the government in good faith and then, out of the blue, slap an ambit claim over the whole of Darwin and think that life can just go on as before, they have been misled. I know that Territorians support my view. The Larrakia people were misled by the NLC, which talked them into this folly, and they were actively encouraged by the Labor Party.
Mrs Hickey interjecting.
Mr STONE: The Leader of the Opposition interjects, but the reality is that she knew about this claim. We know that. She knew about it, she encouraged it and she defended it. The Leader of the Opposition said that, as far as she was concerned, this claim was okay. It was kosher. It was fine. She supported the right of the Larrakia to bring the claim and everything that was entailed in the claim. She has had ample opportunity to refute that allegation but, every time we have tried to debate native title in this Chamber, members opposite have run for cover. They did not want to be part of the debate. They did not want to have the discussion. I say to members opposite that, if they believe in it, if they support it, they
Page 2087
should stand up and say so unequivocally. They say one thing to constituents in urban areas, and another thing to Aboriginal Territorians. Those people are starting to wake up to the Labor Party, because they recognise that it is not straight with them. At least Aboriginal Territorians know where I stand, but members of the opposition say one thing in here and another thing behind their hands when they are talking to their suburban constituents. We know. We hear about it. It is related back to us.
If a further 3 claims are to be made to areas in Darwin, then I demand that the Leader of the Opposition tell us exactly where those claim areas are. Quite clearly, she is an accomplice in all of this, together with the Northern Land Council.
Page 2088
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016