Mr LANHUPUY - 1994-11-29
I refer to the Chief Minister's private meeting with the Larrakia people on 17 November. At that meeting, the Chief Minister told the Larrakia that European laws do not work for Aboriginal people. What form of law does the Chief Minister propose to use in place of European law? Is this in fact an offer of a system based on 2 laws?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I believe I have picked up the gist of the member's question. I had a meeting with all the groups that we could find in Darwin who are representatives of what was once the Larrakia tribe. Of course, they are now mostly people of mixed race. There are a very large number of them who are living both in Darwin and outside of Darwin. One of the problems the Territory government has had over the years, which first arose with the Kenbi Land Claim, was to whom the government could speak as true representatives of the Larrakia people. There was a difficulty because several groups claim that role and there is no group that is truly representative of all the other groups. I understand the Northern Land Council has had similar problems over the years in its negotiations in relation to the Kenbi Land Claim and in attempting to represent to the Larrakia people the Northern Territory government's proposals for an out of court settlement of the Kenbi Land Claim.
Thus, it is in the interests of the Northern Land Council as well as the Northern Territory government to have the Larrakia establish a single body, perhaps a peak body of existing organisations. We do not mind what type of structure it has, but we have asked them to meet among themselves to attempt to form a single organisation with which the Territory government can negotiate matters of native title, as we are required to do under the federal Native Title Act. If such a group is formed at some time, perhaps we could have discussions on the future of the Cox Peninsula area.
I believe the member was alluding to my attempts to obtain better behaviour in the streets of Darwin by having the Larrakia people, if they were to form a single organisation, themselves bring to bear what one might call traditional pressures on Aboriginal groups who visit our town. As all members know, like many other towns in the Northern Territory, there is an element of people on Darwin's streets who seem to have no regard for other citizens and no regard whatsoever for the law. So that I am not accused of being racist, I point out that these
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groups of people are not exclusively visiting Aboriginals. There are a number of non-Aboriginal people among them, quite often ...
Mrs Padgham-Purich: From down south.
Mr PERRON: Yes, I am sure that they are from down south.
It appears that the police and the Darwin City Council, the 2 organisations which have the authority to attempt to enforce the laws and by-laws, find it very frustrating to resolve the problems of unruly behaviour in our community. The level of abuse, begging, intimidation, swearing, indecent exposure and littering is most unfortunate and most unacceptable.
I am sure that the Larrakia people are as proud, if not prouder, of Darwin and its surrounds as the rest of us. Indeed, they confirmed to me that they are distressed also about this behaviour from groups who visit this town, and they would like to do something about it if they can. The outcome of the meeting was that the Larrakia people will discuss forming a single organisation and the Northern Territory government will examine ways in which it can recognise such an organisation by giving it additional status among other Aboriginal groups so that there might be liaison among Aboriginals in an attempt to obtain more acceptable behaviour. We would all benefit significantly from that.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I believe I have picked up the gist of the member's question. I had a meeting with all the groups that we could find in Darwin who are representatives of what was once the Larrakia tribe. Of course, they are now mostly people of mixed race. There are a very large number of them who are living both in Darwin and outside of Darwin. One of the problems the Territory government has had over the years, which first arose with the Kenbi Land Claim, was to whom the government could speak as true representatives of the Larrakia people. There was a difficulty because several groups claim that role and there is no group that is truly representative of all the other groups. I understand the Northern Land Council has had similar problems over the years in its negotiations in relation to the Kenbi Land Claim and in attempting to represent to the Larrakia people the Northern Territory government's proposals for an out of court settlement of the Kenbi Land Claim.
Thus, it is in the interests of the Northern Land Council as well as the Northern Territory government to have the Larrakia establish a single body, perhaps a peak body of existing organisations. We do not mind what type of structure it has, but we have asked them to meet among themselves to attempt to form a single organisation with which the Territory government can negotiate matters of native title, as we are required to do under the federal Native Title Act. If such a group is formed at some time, perhaps we could have discussions on the future of the Cox Peninsula area.
I believe the member was alluding to my attempts to obtain better behaviour in the streets of Darwin by having the Larrakia people, if they were to form a single organisation, themselves bring to bear what one might call traditional pressures on Aboriginal groups who visit our town. As all members know, like many other towns in the Northern Territory, there is an element of people on Darwin's streets who seem to have no regard for other citizens and no regard whatsoever for the law. So that I am not accused of being racist, I point out that these
Page 338
groups of people are not exclusively visiting Aboriginals. There are a number of non-Aboriginal people among them, quite often ...
Mrs Padgham-Purich: From down south.
Mr PERRON: Yes, I am sure that they are from down south.
It appears that the police and the Darwin City Council, the 2 organisations which have the authority to attempt to enforce the laws and by-laws, find it very frustrating to resolve the problems of unruly behaviour in our community. The level of abuse, begging, intimidation, swearing, indecent exposure and littering is most unfortunate and most unacceptable.
I am sure that the Larrakia people are as proud, if not prouder, of Darwin and its surrounds as the rest of us. Indeed, they confirmed to me that they are distressed also about this behaviour from groups who visit this town, and they would like to do something about it if they can. The outcome of the meeting was that the Larrakia people will discuss forming a single organisation and the Northern Territory government will examine ways in which it can recognise such an organisation by giving it additional status among other Aboriginal groups so that there might be liaison among Aboriginals in an attempt to obtain more acceptable behaviour. We would all benefit significantly from that.
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Last updated: 09 Aug 2016