10-point plan

April 1, 1998
Issue 

10-point plan

By Geoff Francis and Peter Hicks

Little Johnny is selling a 10-point plan
To resolve the ownership of the land
He says it's fair to everyone,
And its genius is great.
But as you count from one to 10
Then slowly back to one again
Ask yourself would you trust this man
To sell you real estate.
Point one guarantees land rights
If you can prove you're rich and white,
And if you're Aboriginal, don't worry you'll be fine,
For point two grants security from here to eternity,
With just a few conditions that apply from time to time,
Which brings us to points three and four,
To make things fairer than before,
Anything below the ground belongs to RTZ
Though point five says it's clear and fine
That if RTZ don't want to mine,
The right will be passed on to BHP instead.
So as you count from one to 10 ...
Point six, in letters 12 feet high,
Says native title can apply,
Where rain is never known to fall and
No blade is ever shed.
But point seven takes precedence
Where'er the soil is rich and red
Native title is extinguished for agribusiness rights instead.
To compensate, points eight and nine,
The sly grog and the cask of wine
Third World life expectancy, dispossession and disease
Point 10 is all that Johnny needs
A people sacrificed for greed
For in profit there is justice, that he wants you to believe.
So as you count ...

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