I'm reposting the article in the SMH from July 20 to illustrate what is
at stake and why some of this may explain what is going on.
Trudy
The Sydney Morning Herald
ATSIC pressure on Clark
Date: 20/07/2000
By DEBRA JOPSON
The chairman of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Commission, Geoff Clark, may be asked by some board members
to stand
aside at their regular meeting next month following serious police
charges against him and the subsequent shock resignation of his
predecessor, Mr Gatjil Djerrkura.
Supporters of the Sydney commissioner and former deputy
chairman, Mr Charles Perkins, are understood to be moving to have
him
elected chairman if Clark does stand aside, while the
commissioner for north-eastern NSW, Mr Des Williams, yesterday
did not rule
himself out of the running.
Another commissioner said yesterday that several board members
believe that "ATSIC is bigger than Geoff Clark" and that Clark
should
drop his resolve to stay on as chairman while he faces charges,
including rape, arising from an alleged incident 20 years ago.
Clark yesterday began 10 days of lobbying at the United Nations in
Geneva, where the Human Rights Committee considers Australia
today. Mr Djerrkura visited Melbourne for a meeting with a mining
company and was not available for comment.
Under the act governing ATSIC, if a chairman stood aside
temporarily, the deputy, Mr Ray Robinson, or the alternate deputy,
NSW
west zone commissioner Mr Steve Gordon, would take over. If they
declined, the board would elect
a chairman, a spokesman said.
It is understood that so-called board "kingmaker" Mr Robinson
wishes to remain as deputy and to have Mr Perkins elected
chairman.
Mr Perkins would not comment on this, but he called for Mr
Djerrkura to reconsider his decision to leave at the end of August
and said
that when Clark returned, the board would decide its future after "a
closed session to discuss things with him".
"There's a principle in law that you're innocent until proven guilty.
For people to make premature judgments on the basis of charges
being laid is not proper."
Claiming that the Federal Government would be likely to use the
situation to try to undermine ATSIC, Mr Williams said that the board
had reached "a watershed" and that its members needed to meet
in person or by telephone urgently to "stabilise things" before the
next
scheduled meeting from August 15-17.
He supported Clark's decision not to resign over charges the
chairman claimed were politically motivated, but predicted that if he
thought
ATSIC would be damaged, he would step down.
"With Gatjil's resignation and Geoff's peculiar position at the
moment, we could see some intense talks with the current
Government and
with the minister. I think with the way this Government thinks it will
try to lessen our strengths and undermine us."
The South Australian commissioner, Mr Brian Butler, also called
for an urgent meeting of the board, saying that its members needed
to
"work out our stance".
"It is imperative that we deal with Gatijil's surprise departure from
the board. I am sure the chairperson would be anxious to meet
face-to-face with the rest of the commissioners to explain where he
stands on his commitment."
This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use,
copying or mirroring is prohibited.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
>
> Hi Laurie,
>
> As I've followed the argument, Clarke isn't refusing to play according to
> the bad guys' dictates, he's using exactly the same justification - this is
> 'political' and I therefore won't stand aside. Just like Howard's
> minister's wouldn't. He's not making a principled stand against what the
> likes of Howard would do, he's using the same arguments they do and
> following the same course of action.
>
> Still, I'll admit, the notions of 'due process' I'm suggesting should be
> maintained are maybe no longer relevant. Maybe community standards have
> shifted - certainly Howard's and Clarke's behaviour suggests it. I just
> reckon it's unfortunate.
>
> And just in addition, I'd like to support Trudy's responses to Karen. Karen
> is confusing the discussion we were having with the issue of rape. She is
> also, as Trudy illustrates, presuming guilt not innocence, something, we
> should be aware, is a crime in itself. I reckon Clarke should stand down
> but that doesn't mean - even remotely - that I think he is guilty. AS
> usual, Karen should read what was said and read her own confused comments
> and try and sort out her thoughts before sharing them with everyone.
>
> Tim
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Laurie Forde <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Thursday, August 03, 2000 6:40 AM
> Subject: Re: [recoznet2] Re: The Canberra Times: Burke calls on ATSIC chair
> to stand down while ...
>
> >Hi Tim,
> >
> > It does not mean you are joining the bad guys' when you refuse to play
> >according to their dictates.
> >
> >It just means you do not have a suicide complex.
> >
> >
> >Laurie
> >
> >Laurie and Desley Forde
> >Email. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >
> >Without a treaty, which spells out the obligations and rights of both
> >parties, there can be no Reconciliation in Australia----Geoff Clark.
> >
>
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