Aboriginal groups set up rival advice council By Debra Jopson The Age, December 23, 2004
In a backlash against the Federal Government hand-picking its own indigenous advisers, three national Aboriginal bodies representing hundreds of community-controlled organisations are setting up a rival advisory council. Describing the 14 members of the National Indigenous Council as "unrepresentative individuals", Naomi Mayers, the deputy chairwoman of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, which represents 133 indigenous medical services, said the new council would be set up in the new year. "Why should the Prime Minister pick who is going to represent us? He doesn't know our community," she said. "We have a right to our elected representatives. It's why ATSIC [the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission] was set up. It's not our fault they stuffed up." Elected representatives from her organisation would join those from national bodies representing community-run child- care and legal services in knocking on Mr Howard's door to demand a voice. They will tell him that instead of ditching the commission, the Government should go back to the original bill that established it, which was the second most amended piece of legislation ever to go through Parliament. The amendments weakened the commission. The bill could be used to establish a new elected body, adding strong safeguards against corruption and conflicts of interest, she said. Ms Mayers accused successive federal governments of wasting millions of dollars by commissioning reports - from that of the royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody to the recent ATSIC review - and then ignoring the recommendations. The new council to be set up by the community bodies could point to solutions in many of these reports which could still be implemented, she said. Ms Mayers said the federal Labor vice-president Warren Mundine, who has joined the Prime Minister's council, should shut up, describing some of his comments as "stupid". Mr Mundine has called for a "drastic look" at the communal land system and backed the idea of "mutual obligation" for indigenous communities. "To truly represent the views of Aboriginal people a person must have the authority of Aboriginal people. Our way is by consensus which guarantees those views have validity and support," she said. Mr Mundine said he agreed the Government should reinstate a national elected indigenous advisory body. However, unelected individuals also had the right to give advice, he said. ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/1dTolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nat-International/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
