A spokesperson for the Gurindji people in the Northern Territory has
today condemned the hypocrisy of Minister Jenny Macklin’s support for
constitutional recognition of Indigenous people while she continues to
enforce the NT Intervention.
John Leemans led a stop work rally of more than 200 workers and
supporters from the remote communities of Kalkaringi and Daguragu on
October 20 to highlight the deteriorating working and living
conditions for Aboriginal people under the NT Intervention. A short
video documenting the strike has been launched on ‘Youtube’.
The video also documents the disastrous impact that the Intervention
has had on life at Daguragu, a community built on the site of the
famous 1966 Wave Hill ‘walk off’, where Gurindji established a strike
camp demanding equal wages and Land Rights.
John Leemans said:
“Minister Macklin has now woken up and agreed to recognise Aboriginal
people in the Constitution, but when will she agree to recognise
Aboriginal rights and do away with failed intervention policies?”
“We feel we’ve been betrayed. After the Apology we hoped a Labor
government would demolish the Intervention and start a new way of
working with Aboriginal Australians. Constitutional recognition would
be more of the same symbolism while continuing to roll out racist
policies on the ground. “
“We invite Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Indigenous Affairs
Minister Jenny Macklin to come and meet with the Gurindji people at
Wattie Creek. We want the government to see first hand the damage
their Intervention policies have caused our communities.”
“We’ve lost a lot of vital services , including the retirement and
family centres, the bricksworks, health clinic and the bakery is just
holding on a couple of times a week. People are still having to take
their rubbish to the tip in their own vehicles. We’ve lost hundreds of
workers as CDEP closes down and now people are being forced to work
for the BasicsCard”.
“Changing the constitution is another token that will cost the
government nothing and change nothing on the ground. Gurindji want
real self-determination. Give Aboriginal people back our integrity,
liberty and control of our lives, homelands and communities. We need
funding for jobs, housing and services that can help alleviate poverty
and overcrowding.”
The YouTube clip of the October 20 Gurindji strike can be accessed
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guge6MI6cTA
For more information contact John Leemans 0438345155
Comments
Re: Gurindji spokesman: “Stop the NT Intervention - ...
John Leemans condemns Macklin's alleged hypocrisy, but displays hypocrisy himself when he completely ignores the real problems that led to the Intervention, and exaggerates some of the problems caused by the Intervention itself.
Leemans and his associates should know that much of the deterioration in services to which he refers is nothing to do with the NTER legislation and its programs (the Intervention) in June 2007, but rather is wholly or partly due to the introduction of the Shire system, by the NT Government, in July 2008.
The NTG developed, over many years,and deliberately, and independently, legislated the extremely poorly designed and under-resourced version of local government with which the remote NT communities are now burdened. The Shires eclipsed local community organisations that were previously able to organise local responses to local problems and empower people to do local problem solving. This take-over was purely a product of NTG processes, and cannot be blamed on the Federal Intervention.
This is not to say that the previous arrangements were by any means always competent or adequate; but at least they permitted the possibility of constructive local community action and locally based governing capacities.
Nor do I deny the inadequacy of some NTER processes and programs.
However, to not criticise Leeman's simplistic inferences would be to allow dishonesty and inaccuracy to confuse your readers and mislead the rank and file whom they influence.
Most of the specific services that have diminished at Kalkaringi and Dagaragu are the responsibility of the Shire and the NT Government, and the Shire administers the CDEP which should and could be resourcing or subsidising these services and enterprises.
If John Leemans lives in the communities, he would or should undestand these facts; or maybe there are people who are helping him write these statements who do not live there and who do not understand the reality - it may be they who are to blame for the misleading nature of these statements.