Coalition 'witch-hunts' Aboriginal people

May 8, 1996
Issue 

By Jenny Forward

HOBART — Jim Everett, writer and member of the Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal community), believes that the federal Coalition government is on a "witch-hunt" against Aborigines. Why isn't the government investigating the accountability of other departments with the same zealous scrutiny, he asks?

Given the way Aboriginal people are portrayed in the establishment media, and the profile given to the racist comments of Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter, he isn't surprised that the Coalition believes it's on "pretty safe ground" attacking Aborigines.

"We would expect the Coalition/Liberal government would pick on Aboriginal people because they have a belief that those who achieve are the ones who work hard, and those that don't, don't. They forget that 200 years ago our land was stolen, and they forget they are managing stolen land."

Everett told Green Left Weekly that the Coalition is on a racist campaign aimed at trying to stop Aboriginal people from "maintaining [their] Aboriginality". "The government wants to force Aboriginal people to adapt to mainstream services rather than be accommodated by services which are developed to be more culturally appropriate."

Why is the government doing this now? Largely because it wants to make big cuts in the budget, Everett said, adding that many more people besides Aborigines will be affected. Also, "It wants to get rid of Aboriginal affairs as a recognisable, discrete entity in the political system of Australia".

Everett believes that in opposition the Coalition saw greater opportunities in Bob Hawke's "reconciliation program", which, in his view, was aimed at "assimilating" Aboriginal people rather than recognising their special needs. The Labor Party "set up ATSIC. Then they forced a reconciliation program on us where basically the government determined the terms of reference without reference to Aboriginal people in the communities."

Everett has long been a critic of ATSIC, an organisation he describes as "a fraud on Aboriginal people from the very outset". He believes that ATSIC has never kept its promises to represent Aboriginal people in the communities. Aboriginal communities have no control over what ATSIC councillors do. "In Tasmania, for instance, regional councils have set up an organisation for themselves. They direct the chip [Aboriginal housing money] and they've been able to buy themselves and their families quite nice mansions in the Hobart area."

The solution, according to Everett, is Aboriginal self-determination and cultural freedom. As a first step, this has to involve "a discussion between Aboriginal people and government on the sovereignty issue and cultural property ownership rights across the country".

Everett believes that "the ATSIC structure ought to be totally removed, and local communities, within cultural boundaries, should have a say in how things should work". To do this, however, "We're going to need a lot of assistance and resourcing", he added.

On native title, Everett believes that while the Murray Island people "did achieve something" with the historic Mabo decision, "now the rest of [Aborigines] have been shafted" as politicians "set up the process to extinguish native title".

"What our so-called leaders have done is to subordinate Aboriginal people to this white system ... We should never recognise white Australian law over anything to do with our society and culture. We should be ending rule over us."

According to Everett, Aborigines' attempts to negotiate with governments have failed. "We have no power to negotiate ... except in the mobilisation of a political and cultural movement which is not tied to the corporate processes of government. That's the only way to bring about change."

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