Push to end Aboriginal permit system
September 13, 2006
ABORIGINAL communities would lose the right to prevent outsiders from coming onto their land in a new shake-up of land rights proposed by the Howard Government.
Indigenous Minister Mal Brough yesterday declared his intent to abolish the permit system that regulates access to many remote indigenous communities.
Citing a case before the
Darwin courts involving the alleged repeated rape of a 12-year-old boy in the Arnhem Land community of
Maningrida, Mr Brough said axing permits would enable the "full glare" of publicity and public pressure for an end to such abuse.
"It is time the permit system be removed," he told Parliament.
The comments, which prompted Northern Territory Labor MP Warren Snowdon to accuse Mr Brough of being a "dog whistler", took the powerful Aboriginal land councils in the NT by surprise.
Northern Land Council chief executive Norman Fry suggested the minister had been "seriously misled" on the issue. He pointed to remarks in Parliament last month by Coalition senator Nigel Scullion, who said the media had good access without changes to legislation.
But
Darwin-based Liberal MP David Tollner said it was not right that almost every Australian had to have a permit to visit these lands.
"We need to get rid of the permit system and normal laws of trespass should apply," he said. "Otherwise it's censorship to stop the media going there if you think they are investigating a difficult issue. There are always heinous crimes that go unreported simply because people don't have access."
NT Chief Minister
Clare Martin said her Government supported the permit system, and invited Mr Brough to talk to Aboriginal communities to hear why it was important to them.
Labor's indigenous affairs spokesman Chris Evans accused the minister of trying to politicise issues of violence and assault, saying police already had access to such communities. Greens indigenous spokeswoman Rachel Siewert said it was a "simplistic, sensationalist response".
But National Indigenous Council chairwoman Sue
Gordon said Mr Brough had good reason for his proposed changes in the NT.
"However, I think there will need to be lengthy consultation with communities in the other states as I am aware of concerns by Aboriginal people regarding exploitation of their people through open access to their communities," she said.
Sharon Payne, the chief executive of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, said the plan to end permits was a "disgrace" designed to violate indigenous Australians' human rights. "Aboriginal people are not public property — they are private citizens in a country that values home ownership," she said.
"If you go onto a cattle property in the NT, you have to get the owner's permission. This is the same principle on Aboriginal land."
Ms Payne said axing permits to stop abuse in indigenous communities would be akin to raiding every home in Australia for child porn.
"This is a case of Aboriginal until proven innocent," she said. "The Northern Territory Land Rights Act was one piece of legislation that said you have the same rights as every other citizen and to downgrade it is a disgrace."