Future of land bill in doubt
By Stephen Robson
The federal government has got itself in a mess over the Indigenous Land Corporation and Land Acquisitions Bill.
Badly drafted, the bill was offered as a cheap image builder for the Keating government to complement its native title legislation. A sum of $1 billion is needed to address the needs of Aboriginal people, as opposed to the $45 million offered by the federal government.
Now the government's rhetoric is under challenge, particularly from the campaign by the Greens (WA) senators, who are threatening the whole bill.
Debate has occurred amongst progressive forces following the adoption in the Senate of a Coalition amendment that prioritises the “most dispossessed” Aboriginal groups. Greens (WA) senators Dee Margetts and Christabel Chamarette voted for the amendment. However, the Greens senators are prepared to consider alternative wording that will meet concerns of those in the Aboriginal community who fear that the amendment will cause legal problems.
The overriding problem with the legislation is still the paltry amount of money that is allocated. A few hundred million dollars over eight years is going to be largely eaten up in land management rather than significantly addressing the needs of Aboriginal people throughout Australia.
The bill is due to be debated again on November 8.
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