Nowra reconciliation meeting

Nowra reconciliation meeting

By Margaret Perrott

NOWRA — More than 80 people attended a "meet the candidates" night organised by the Berry Aboriginal Reconciliation Committee. The meeting, held at the Nowra Aboriginal Cultural Centre on September 11, heard the views from candidates for the seat of Gilmore.

None of the candidates explained how their policies would promote reconciliation until questions from the floor. Only the Greens clearly opposed the Jabiluka uranium mine and candidate Jane Bange said her party would endeavour to have Howard's Native Title Amendment Act repealed.

Tom Dell, the One Nation candidate, started his speech by claiming that Aboriginal people ("you people") "are hard to talk to about politics".

Two plain-clothes police were present throughout the meeting and two uniformed police arrived near the end, presumably to "protect" Dell.

All money raised at the meeting will be donated to the Nowra Youth Night Patrol, set up several years ago by the Aboriginal community to help all young people in the area.

From GLW issue 334