Warren Mundine's brave face but gutted - our source correct about Senator Bob Carr!

Gerry Georgatos Former ALP president and Bandjalung man, Warren Mundine is putting on a brave face after being denied the opportunity to become the first Aboriginal federal Labor politician.

Mr Mundine has congratulated former NSW premier Bob Carr on his nomination to the vacant Senate position - after Mark Arbib, who held the Indigenous Employment portfolio till taken over by Julie Collins in the previous ministerial reshuffle, dramatically resigned on the same day Prime Minister Julia Gillard out-balloted Kevin Rudd, 71-31 to hold on to the leadership of the ALP and the prime minister-ship.

When the Senate position became vacant Mr Mundine declared himself available to fill the position and it is understood he and his supporters lobbied strongly.

When the Senate position became vacant a parliamentary source told the National Indigenous Times that Prime Minister Gillard lobbied for Mr Carr to fill the Senate vacancy and lobbied for Mr Carr to be offered the ministerial portfolio of Foreign Minister. This was immediately refuted by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister who publicly said "this is not true". She has since admitted she did lobby for Mr Carr to fill the Senate vacancy.

Our source's claims included that the Defence Minister Stephen Smith argued against the invitation to Mr Carr to undertake the Foreign Ministry portfolio and that he believed it to be highly improper for it to be offered to Mr Carr. He said that instead the Prime Minister and the Cabinet should agree on and expeditiously announce to the public the replacements for Mr Rudd's and Mr Arbib's portfolios, who should be selected from serving and seasoned federal parliamentarians.

Mr Crean, who some insiders believe is positioning himself for a tilt at the prime minister's job, if and when needed, backed the Prime Minister in what was a testy Cabinet meeting. The source was correct that the Prime Minister's supporter David Bradbury would be elevated to Cabinet and was correct that Senator Doug Cameron's fears of retribution to some of the Rudd supporters would eventuate.

Mr Mundine publicly put on a brave face however it is understood he has said to some within his beloved ALP that the party had the chance to dedicate to affirmative action on Indigenous representation in parliament and at long last displace some of the Coalition's boasts with Indigenous representation - Ken Wyatt in the House of Representatives, and formerly with Neville Bonner in the Senate. The source said that one Cabinet member said that Mr Mundine would be "our first Indigenous Senator and could also take over the Indigenous Employment portfolio or have an Indigenous portfolio created or work with Jenny" - The source said Jenny Macklin remained silent. Another Cabinet member believed Mr Mundine's elevation to the Senate could raise the party's profile, however the Prime Minister and Mr Crean, and other ministers, said that Mr Carr was better placed to raise the party's image with voters - Aboriginal voters being less than 2% the total voter population.

We asked the Office of the Prime Minister whether Mr Mundine was considered as a Senatorial candidate by the Cabinet. A spokesperson for the Office of the Prime Minister said, "We don't comment on private conversations between the Prime Minister and her colleagues."

gerry@nit.com.au
0430 657 309

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I would have loved Warren to have been selected. Carr is yesterday's man, and another member of the NSW right that dominates labour.

Mundine is widely despised as someone who sings the white man's song, one of the “establishment” Aborigines forming a wall those stirring for change have to break down. One of the first to rush to condemn "violence" at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the 26th of January, although there is overwhelming proof that demonstrators were not violent, but police were. Rushes to judgment based on what lying white media put out. He could have just picked up a phone to get the facts. But he's so white-entrenched his vibes for an important black event didn't even switch on. Spontaneously ready to blame his own race. Shame! Even after the media finally had to climb down, he felt no need to apologise for shooting off his mouth and playing along with the white racist game. Shame!

Agree with you Noel

Mr Mundine publicly put on a brave face however it is understood he has said to some within his beloved ALP that the party had the chance to dedicate to affirmative action on Indigenous representation in parliament

Michael Anderson warns that if Warren Mundine were to replace Senator Mark Arbib, he could speak only for his Bundjarlung nation of the far north coast of NSW. “He does not have a mandate to speak for other Aboriginal people. Should he seek to do so, he will be breaking Aboriginal customary law.”
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/03/01/support-growing-for-national-unity-go...

So with Michael Anderson saying “He does not have a mandate to speak for other Aboriginal people".Looks Like Bob Carr was a good choice, all we need now is for him to roll Gillard and make Rudd deputy

And who makes Michael Anderson the mouthpiece on everything indigenous? Anyone is free to talk on indigenous affairs, and you represent aboriginal people by doing their will, not by saying you are doing their will. Aboriginal customary law? Where is this written? Even if it is written it has no standing in the Australian legal system.

Law that served 500 nations well for at least 40,000 years, didn't need to be written down. "No standing": invader talk. Identifies you as someone "who knows best what's good for Aborigines".

insulting.

500 nations? I thought it was 87, but what would I know? I also know that those 87 nations did not have a peak body. So why is Michael Anderson trying to create something that never existed, proclaiming himself as the ambassador of a two nation state? A two nation state is like creating another Israel, it is simply not in the best interests or Australia or Australians, black or white.

This is a struggle for equality, a struggle to stop whites lording it over Aborigines and grinding them into the dirt. To stop whites dictating how and where Aborigines should live. To respect their beliefs and other aspects of their culture.

If your daughter is not concerned by any of those grievances, fine, let her stand aside from the struggle. No loss to the struggle, but maybe to her when the tribal call demands its due and she won't know how to handle it. She won't have had any guidance on how to from her father, but be more confused by him than she would be anyway.

No one is being coerced into the sovereign union. Those who want to, join, after talks and treaties.

As to Anderson's mandate, ask him or the Tent Embassy people.

And in case you doubt his abilities, visit http://www.vibe.com.au/index.php?option=com_flexicontent&view=items&id=4854.

I have an eagle eye cocked for your usual insults, which don't advance the discussion, and will delete you without warning in future.

An Editor

To the faceless Editor of indymedia did you know that it is not just the whites (Racist comment)dictating how and where Aborigines should live we have many races in the Australian Parliament but you want to single out white people why?
I think you need to understand something the Aboriginals don't own Australia

When you attack white people do you realise you are also attacking a part of Michael Andersons ancestory and all the other Half cast Aboriginals in this country. Do you want Michael Anderson to fight himself one part of his ancestory against the other.The black white thing don't work any more because most Australians are mixed race, like most of the people at the tent embassy

So eagle eye please delete your own racist comment and leave them back in the 50's where they belong. Australia is a multi cultural country and we all own Australia together

In the lists of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate I can’t identify a single non-white name, in fact you’ve got your work cut out to find more than a couple of handfuls of non-Anglo names.
“The Aboriginals don't own Australia” because it was robbed from them by force. According to 19th century English law which has never been revoked, Aborigines still own it.
About half of the “Australians”, however you define who is one, are uncomfortable with this being “a multi cultural country”. Thank goodness change may be on the way because the other half were either not born here or had immigrant parents, according to official statistics. As to “we all own Australia together” – do you hear the bitterly caustic laughter by the dispossessed all across this vast land?

"I can’t identify a single non-white name" you didn't look very hard ,Senator Nick Xenophon,Senator the Hon Penny Wong,Senator Arthur Sinodinos,Senator the Hon Lisa Singh,Senator Richard Di Natale,Senator the Hon George Brandis SC,Senator the Hon Mark Arbib,Senator the Hon Eric Abetz,Ms Maria Vamvakinou MP,Mr Ross Vasta MP,Mr Tony Zappia MP,Mr Ken Wyatt AM, MP,
Mr Ken Wyatt AM,MP He is of Indigenous Australian (Noongar, Yamatji and Wangai), Indian, English and Irish descent, and is the first self-identifying Indigenous Australian member of the House of Representatives.
Here is a list of indigenous who have been in Australian Politics
National
Neville Bonner -- Liberal Senator for Queensland, the first Indigenous Australian to be elected to the Parliament of Australia
Aden Ridgeway -- Australian Democrats Senator for NSW
Warren Mundine -- Former National President of the Australian Labor Party
Ken Wyatt -- Liberal MHR for WA
New South Wales
Linda Burney -- ALP MLA, first NSW Indigenous MP and former president of the ALP. First Indigenous deputy leader of the ALP in NSW.
[edit]Northern Territory
John Ah Kit -- ALP MLA
Alison Anderson -- MLA since 2005; 2008-09 Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; Minister for Parks and Wildlife; Minister for Arts and Museums; and Minister for Indigenous Policy; resigned from the ALP in August 2009
Matthew Bonson -- ALP MLA
Marion Scrymgour - ALP MLA, first female Indigenous minister in Australia.
South Australia
Sir Douglas Nicholls -- first indigenous Governor of an Australian state (Governor of South Australia); Pastor with the Churches of Christ in Australia; first indigenous Australian to be knighted
Western Australia
Ben Wyatt -- ALP MLA, and Western Australian Shadow Treasurer.
Ernie Bridge -- ALP MLA
Carol Martin -- ALP MLA. The first Aboriginal woman to be elected to any Australian Federal, State or Territory Parliament.

Here is a list of Greeks that have been in Australian Politics
Nick Bolkus – federal politician
Michael Costa – former Finance Minister, New South Wales
Jim Fouras – politician, Queensland
Steve Georganas – federal politician
Petro Georgiou – federal politician
John Hatzistergos – Attorney General, New South Wales
Peter Katsambanis – former politician, Victoria
Steve Kons – Deputy Premier, Tasmania
Nick Kotsiras – Minister, Victoria
Tom Koutsantonis – Minister for Trade, South Australia
Ken Michael – politician
Jenny Mikakos – politician, Victoria
Sophie Mirabella – federal politician
John Pandazopoulos – politician, Victoria
Theo Theophanous – politician, Victoria (born Cyprus)
Arthur Sinodinos – former Chief of Staff, PM John Howard
Maria Vamvakinou – federal politician
Kon Vatskalis – politician, Northern Territory
Nick Xenophon – politician, South Australia

Here is a list of Italians that have been in Australian Politics
Anthony Albanese - Federal politician (ALP)
Franca Arena - Former NSW state politician (ALP)
Lidia Argondizzo - Victorian state politician (ALP)
Phillip Barresi - Federal politician (Liberal)
Carlo Carli - Victorian state politician (ALP)
Vincenzina (Vini) Ciccarello - South Australian state politician (ALP)
Lily D'Ambrosio - Victorian state politician (ALP)
Angela D'Amore - Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (ALP)
Elisabetta D'Amore - Victorian local government activist
Concetta Fierravanti-Wells - Federal Senator (Liberal)
James Gobbo - Governor of Victoria (1997-2000)
Morris Iemma - Former Premier of New South Wales (ALP)
Licia Kokocinski - Former Victorian upper house politician (ALP)
Anthony Luchetti - Former federal politician (ALP)
Sandra Nori - Former NSW state politician (ALP)
Paul Omodei - Western Australian state Opposition Leader (Liberal)
Sam Piantadosi - Former Western Australian state politician
B.A. Santamaria - Political activist and journalist
Santo Santoro - Former federal senator (Liberal)
Frank Sartor - NSW state politician (ALP)
Con Sciacca - Federal politician (ALP)
Giovanni Sgro - Victorian politician (ALP)
Joe Tripodi - NSW politician (ALP)
Raffaello Carboni - Honorary membership due to his involvement in the Eureka Stockade 1854
John Raciti FRSA - Ambassador of International Human Rights Commission for Australia & Oceania (Allied to The United Nations)

Their are many more people that have entered Australian Politics that do not come from a white Anglo back ground, if you need more of a list let me know e.g Steve Bracks whos family originally came from Lebanon the list just goes on and on.you seem to have a hang up on non-white names I wonder how Michael Anderson feels about your racist views on peoples names?Or do you regard him as Scottish and don't care what he thinks?

excellent reply

excellent reply

I wrote, "I can’t identify a single non-white name, in fact you’ve got your work cut out to find more than a couple of handfuls of non-Anglo names."

I stand corrected on the tiny number of non-whites you found.

As far as I know, Italians and Greeks are whites.

And I was referring to the present houses of parliament, not adding past numbers. If I compared all the "Anglos" to all the non-Anglos of past parliaments, like you have done with Italians and Greeks, my numbers would look even more convincing.

Italians and Greeks are not Anglo. Italians and Greeks are not white ask Gerry as he comes from a Greek back ground your argument has been shot to pieces So back to Darren Clarke's original statement
"To the faceless Editor of indymedia did you know that it is not just the whites (Racist comment)dictating how and where Aborigines should live we have many races in the Australian Parliament but you want to single out white people why?"

I own 350ha in NSW and have title to prove it.I pay rates and taxes to the Australian Government LOL.
Who built all the major cities in Australia?Who made Australia the best country in the world?I will tell you who, every one in Australia past and present white man,Black man, Asians, Arabs,Africans,South Americans,Americans,Europeans,Pacific Islanders,etc etc and Aboriginals. Together we are Australians.We must not listen to the racist who try to divide us all.

I have Aboriginal,Irish, Scottish,Chinese,Fijian blood in me(proud of every last drop) and I call myself Australian, what racist label would you put on me?And where do you think I belong?

Bill you do own your land and no one else
Bill you ask where you belong?I can answer that you belong on Planet Earth with all the other Human beings and with your land title I can narrow it down to Australia
You make a great points Just ignore the racist on this site you are better than them

Michael Anderson ,Bertie Williams, Billy Craigie and Tony Coorey Who are these men with Anglo names you might ask?
They are the Great Aboriginal men that established the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the front lawn of parliament house in 1972.

I'm sorry? My usual insults? I'm debating the issues. I'm concerned that a two nation state does not advance aboriginal interests.

If Indymedia is into censorship please advise me.

I will delete all submissions that contain name-calling and insults to other writers. Obviously, they contribute nothing to the conversation but demean our site. I happily admit to that kind of censorship. You have offended frequently on that score, eg once in this string of comment. Don't kid yourself and try to kid me that you just "debate the issues".

An Editor

"This is a struggle for equality, a struggle to stop whites lording it over Aborigines and grinding them into the dirt.To stop whites dictating how and where Aborigines should live"
This is a Racist statement and not true.
May be "An Editor" would like to delete their own Insulting racist faceless comment.

It's also true that Carr can't become PM from the Senate. i refute claims that I am a racist or an invader. I categorically deny that a two nation state is in the best interests of Australia. Michael Anderson does not represent aboriginal Australia any more than I do, or any more than because I visited Canberra in 1980 I have the right to call myself spokesperson for whitefellas. You cannot self-elect yourself as spokesperson of a people. Mundine would have been an excellent choice as a Labour Senator. Obviously Bolsheviks do not often get elected to Parliament.

insulting.

Noel there is no such thing as a Labour Senator.
What have Murdering Bolsheviks got to do with this?You lost me on that one

Bob Carr more than able to fill his designated role as Foreign Affairs minister, and can only help improve brand Labor.

Both Warren Mundine and Bob Carr are terrible choices for the Australian Senate.
I'm not sure which would be worse.
Mundine would be such a bad choice - a "whiteised" Aborigine, and a Director of the Australian Uranium Association.
Bob Carr - not, admittedly, an "Uncle Tom" style Aborigine. But perhaps worse, a high profile, very experienced politician, who is one of the nuclear lobby's prime spokesmen. He was pushing for New South Wales to mine uranium, and supporting uranium exporting to India, and promoting nuclear power - well, everywhere.

Christina Macpherson you are a racist
"whiteised" Aborigine
"Uncle Tom" style Aborigine
This is the same as calling some one a nigger lover but opposite there is no room for raists like you in public debate
Indymedia should delete all racist comments

The whole method of choosing a Senator is a shemozzle - I think Gerry's point was this in the end that Julia Gillard can pick who she wants, screw any reason like an Aboriginal Senator or an experienced choice from within the party and that she can pick somebody and screw the rank and file. I thought how it works was the branch preselects by voting within the branch members the House of reps candidate and again the party sends out a ballot to Labor members to vote for the Senate candidate - so Carr or Mundine or Keneally are not the choice of the members, the rank and file for their senator but autocracy at its stinking worst, an autocracy that saw as Gerry describes cabinet disregarded and the rank and file dismissed, that saw off cabinet consensus, ministers' dissent, that humiliated the seasoned members as Gerry writes, and what Gillard did was pull in one of her close confidantes and allies, her big supporter and let us get this right Bob Carr represents the right, actually the ultra right of the Labor party, represents what Gillard is about and the fact she needs more of the right not the left to take on the electorate that she has let Abbott and the right make more conservative in recent years and Bob Carr represents foreign interests, so makes sense he is foreign minister, represents screwing Palestine all together as Rudd was lurching to the left with his desire to see Palestine in UNESCO but this affected Michael Danby and his ultra wing Jewish side and Carr being Mr Pro-Uranium is perfect for Gillard who will sell uranium to anyone like India, Zimbabwe and Iran next we'd presume! but she couldn't have wrong here either with Mundine who is Mr Pro-Uranium's kindred spirit, Mr Pro-Uranium Jr.

The Labor party missed a great chance to pick a great candidate for senate and instead picked hasbeens that Gillard can use to brand conservative Labor ultra right.

Noel, sorry but you yourself are alluding to a 2 state system not Michael.
From what I have read from Micheal and "many" other Aboriginals is that your "beloved" political system is both corrupt and "illegal" as defined by the very statutes your "beloved" system is based on, English law.

Ever heard of South Africa ? New Guinea ? Fiji ? of course you have ! there they were fortunately not out-populated, out-voted and out-gunned as here.

Do you know how the Indonesians continue the control over Papua or the Chinese over Tibet ? of course you do !

You might enjoy living under the tyranny of a group of pollies you call "democracy" but I would rather people who are at least honest about the past, present and future like Michael,to be a part of the decision making process than any so-called christians who twist the facts and lie through their teeth.

What I've done is raise the question of whether Michael or anyone else is calling for a two state solution. In response to the silence on this question I have presumed that they do.

Is racism alive and well and prevalent in Australia? Yes it is. Does indigenous Australia have deserved rights and protections under Australian law? yes they do. Is indigenous Australia over represented in Australian jails? Yes they are. Are the living conditions of some (many) indigenous Australians worse than in South Africa under apartheid? yes.

The question I am asking is how do we resolve these issues, which are self evident to everyone. And what I am promoting is that we do not do it by seeking a two nation state.

"he felt no need to apologise for shooting off his mouth and playing along with the white racist game"

"White Racist"and your not racist are you?

The slagging is wrong and this is not Parliamentary Question Time - we should better than them!

The issues are:
Aboriginal peoples are the poorest in our country
What will be done, by whom and by when, to correct this?
Sovereignty as an answer and sovereignty does not mean a two nation state or separation of powers, as Gerry says it may mean rights, remedies and empowerment (self determination)

In terms of the Senate - the issues raised were powerbroking and autocracy instead of rank and file protocols
That there was dissent - Stephen Smith for instance
In some media it is said that Simon Crean also disagreed with Gillard pulling up Bob Carr but Gerry says in his article that Crean was afterall onside with Gillard, maybe the assertiveness thing, and other media says it was Gillard and Wayne Swan who like the oligarchy ruled in Bob Carr with many in the cabinet oblivious

The issue of people autocratically lobbying themselves to Gillard and the cabinet for the senate replacement was raised by inference rather than go to rank and file ballot democracy and for the case put
Mundine was raise in terms of his Aboriginality as affirmative action for the ALP but this was not considered significant for Gillard and her cabinet except for a few according to Gerry's article
Then there was the issues raised in the blog if Mundine is the right choice to represent Aboriginal people but is that a question Gerry put or was it a question others had - who is the right person to be Aboriginal in parliament - was it Liberal Neville Bonner, liberal Ken Wyatt, Democrat Aden Ridgeway or all the conservatives and semi conservatives in Labor and Liberal state and territory parliaments? I think the question by Gerry and a couple of cabinet members was the ALP's position to a chance on affirmative action on Aboriginal people into the parliament for Labor. Who we think is best to our represent our views on what we'd like to see from Aboriginal parliamentarians is an entirely different issue. Of course many of us would like to see Michael Anderson in parliament, so would Gerry that I know from him but that is not what the discoveries in the article are about.
The other question is it right for an outside without seasoning as a federal politician to be parachuted into government and undemocratically and what does this say about the state of the ALP and their parliamentarians? The media circus seems to have revelled in Bob Carr's vaudeville ability on the podium and cast him as some great intellect almost Lincolnesque but isn't Bob Carr ultra right wing with some branding in some green policy making but not at the expense of the ultra righ and isn't he Mr Pro-Uranium, Mr Pro-business, Mr Pro-spin, Mr Pro-conservative, Mr anti-Palestine to appease the ultra right and isn't his record as an apparatchik, party dues, party loyalty, and spin-king... The fact he is in the senate will allow him not to challenge Gillard for the leadership from a high profile position like the Foreign Minister, whereas Stephen Smith considered by some as a future leader and Gillard's big replacement threat could become leader from high profile Foreign Minister position because he is in the House of Representatives, and the added bonus for Gillard is she'll have Gillard supporter and spin king and quip master Bob Carr to shut down Senator Doug Cameron, anti-Gillard spokesperson.

Okay I indulged with the last bit but it seems the thread has a life of its own, which is great too but lets look at some of the issues too and not just go half cocked on who is Aboriginal and not and ridiculous two nation states concepts when all people are looking for was at the loss of democracy and transparency from Gillard in hijacking the vacant senate position, in the question of a lost opportunity for a democratically elected person who could have been an Aboriginal person, in the fact that the cabinet has been a place of silence and retribution and the self serving, and the threat posed by the ultra right in Australian politics making it ever so easier for Abbottesque-Howardesque politics, which is what we have at this time, let us not kid ourselves.

However at no time is there any place for slagging racism at others or things said in ways that are offensive and I think the Editor has made some valid comments - now that's being 'assertive' as Gillard would like to say and her silly minions like Crean!

Cheers, In the Know

Thanks for the clarification on the sovereignty issue. That makes it clearer for me.

I think you make some cogent points vis a vis Carr's appointment to the Senate. It has to be remembered that a senate vacancy is the one time when our democracy has no democratic system for electing that member. Let us remember 1975, when Joh Bjelke Peterson appointed a right wing Labour member against the wishes of the then government in order for that person to support the opposition and block supply, thus creating the circumstances that resulted int he dismissal.

Senate vacancies must be appointed by the party, but it remains at the discretion of the State Premier, which is highly undesirable and means 1975 could be repeated again.

In this instance the Prime Minister has managed to appoint a person she sees as a friend and supporter. He trashed NSW and will trash the Labour brand as Foreign Minister. Unfortunately that is our democracy at work, where Labour is continuously drawn to the right as the Liberal Party is pushed further to the extreme right.

Promoting leftist policy, continuing to champion the leftist cause, is our best weapon in combatting this lurch to the right of the Labour party.

Noel why do you insist on calling Labor Labour is it because you don't want to be wrong or what?

Ray ? is that your real name ?
Con-way ? hee , can we read something in this ?
Promoting Leftist policy, please , no more left/right vaguries , it's starting to sound a little too much like the " two state solution" you mentioned before.

The institutions of government in this land are corrupt, that's obvious.

How we rid ourselves of them is another thing.
If the majority are content with this situation then get ready for the end because history shows us all tyrannies come to a nasty end.

Your false pastors won't tell you about the impending fate of this world, it's written, but they sure as hell will lead you into destruction.

Green Left Weekly decided to check Carr’s moral and intellectual calibre by checking out his blog. We found a stand-out post from January 27. Here, Carr commented on the protest against opposition leader Tony Abbott and Gillard on January 26 by members of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy.

Carr said: “I agree with Tony Abbott and think his remarks entirely sensible. The Tent Embassy in Canberra says nothing to anyone and should have been quietly packed up years ago.

"The 'activists' who run it would be better off investing time in youth programs in indigenous communities. Every government in Australia is aware of its responsibilities to Aboriginal Australians. The debate is how you narrow the gap not whether you should and the debate is as serious within the Aboriginal community as between it and the white.”

Now it would seem to me to be useful to look at how current strategies to “narrow the gap” were going and whether the current policy direction was working. A big part of the protest Carr said should be "quietly packed up" was saying that the NT intervention -- the current government policy framework for “narrowing the gap” -- was driving living standards backwards and damaging Aboriginal participation in society by depriving them of certain rights.

It seems to me that if you want to say a protest “says nothing to anyone” you might try to analyse what they were saying with some degree of depth. Carr dismisses the many issues that the Tent Embassy protesters have raised by saying: “Suddenly we are presented with a demand for “Aboriginal sovereignty” -- which can only mean separatism –- which nobody has defined and which, on principle, 99% of Australians would oppose and a majority of Aborigines oppose.”

But the issue of Aboriginal sovereignty has been debated and defined for some time, if you care to look. For example, Tasmanian Aboriginal lawyer and activists Michael Mansell has recently explored just this issue.

It’s quite a detailed piece that sums up some of the thinking behind calls for sovereignty.

I’ll summarise it further for intellectuals like Carr:

1. Aboriginal people have had their laws and culture taken away from them.

2. They want what was taken from them back or, at least, protection against their rights as citizens being stripped away by government .

3. It would be great if that could be codified in the Australian constitution.

Sovereignty becomes important when governments, such had taken place in the Northern Territory, decide that Aboriginal languages cannot be taught in classrooms except at the very end of the day. Or that Aboriginal communities can have their lands forcibly leased by the government at rates far below market value. Or that Aboriginal communities can be subject to police powers that mean people can be arrested for maintaining their right to silence.

All of these things are current policy under the NT intervention, which has the full support of the ALP. On March 13, the Senate will begin to debate legislation to entrench the NT intervention laws for the next 10 years. This was something that the Tent Embassy protest was trying to stop. This seems like a good motivation for protest to me, but then I’m no intellectual.

Carr said about Aboriginal land rights: “Aboriginal right to land –- which is what the embassy was established to promote –- has been recognized in several different forms. The real debate is why this recognition has failed to have any effect on outcomes in remote Australia.”

My answer to that would be that the form of recognition was very limited by the Mabo decision in the first case, then watered-down by the Paul Keating ALP government and then further weakened by amendments made by the John Howard government in 1998. Even Keating admitted in June last year that Aboriginal landholders had less rights than squatters and required a more onerous burden of proof to access land.

Of course, this is something that many in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy have pointed out for a long time, but I guess we can’t expect an intellectual like Carr to be aware of such comments, whether made by a former PM or an Aboriginal elder.

Great piece anon.
Seems like Carr likes to play the "separatist" card too.
They "he and his ilk" do not want to lose their power, position and comfortable pensions by transferring some authority to those who by all accounts could claim total authority.

Shock, horror if Aboriginals obtain what is morally theirs, the right to have authority.
How much ? that's up to them .
For starters those in need get help, those who are not ? well, they can help themselves ,then they would not need any would they !

Oh no, this is not about the 99 % versus the 1 % , this is about the interests of the wealthy both inside and outside this land, those who want the status quo to remain and their commodities kept safe for their markets.

carr and mundine both bad choices but in the end carr is the more dangerous one, he has too much power already, mundine is just a minion

All fair comment on Carr, but Warren Mundine seems to hold many similar
views to Carr on Indigenous affairs. He also said that it was time to move
on from the Tent Embassy. According to AAP, he said that the protesters
overreacted to Abbott's statement and that he agreed with Abbott. He said
that" it is irrelevant to the mainstream of Aboriginal people today and has
been for the last 20 years."

Sounds a lot like Carr to me.

Laurie Forde

Mundine's useless
Carr's a lackey because he's a powerbroker
Keneally would have been better
all of them suck, each and everyone
no calls a spade a spade, not in our parliaments, that's for sure

now if someone like Robbie Thorpe or even at least a Les Malezer was in hte Senate that be something... Mundine, ppfff!