Labor succumbs to mining industry pressure
By Sam Wainwright
BRISBANE — Reporting on the ALP national conference held in Hobart last week, the January 22 Courier-Mail noted that Labor had "signalled it was ready to soften part of its hardline stance on native title, but remained committed to opposing the core of John Howard's 10-point Wik plan".
Given that Labor voted in favour of six of Howard's ten points, including five which dramatically erode the rights indigenous Australians, its "hardline" opposition could hardly get much softer. So what has prompted Kim Beazley to think about further watering down Labor's position?
Supporters of the government's bill — above all the mining industry — are determined to see all obstacles to the operation of "business as usual" removed. In particular, they want to abolish native title holders' right to negotiate with mining companies, the only point in Howard's plan that was completely rejected in the Senate. Since then the mining industry has turned the heat up on the ALP, running an advertising campaign and conducting lots of behind-the-scenes lobbying.
The first sign that Labor was prepared to further compromise with Howard came on January 14 when Queensland opposition leader Peter Beattie said state Labor's electoral prospects would be damaged if federal Labor adopted a "heart on the sleeve" approach to native title. By January 21, Beazley was talking about the need to hold talks with the mining industry.
Labor's preparedness to back down opened the door to a renewed attack on the concept of native title and land rights by the Coalition. Queensland Premier Rob Borbidge has resumed his campaign of racist misinformation, claiming native title bids threaten courthouses, parks, backyards and even police stations! The state government has published a glossy 20-page booklet promoting the 10-point plan for distribution to every leaseholder in the state.
Responding to a Borbidge tirade on talk-back radio, Les Malezer, general manager of the Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action, said that the National Party had "fired the first shot in a race-war election". A state election is due mid-year, and it seems that the Coalition feels it can turn the tide of public opinion, which is running against it.
Graham Matthews from the Democratic Socialist Party told Green Left Weekly that Labor's willingness to do a deal with the mining industry won't prevent a so-called "race election". "The very opposite is true. By reducing its opposition to the 10-point plan to a token gesture, Labor is boosting the confidence of the Coalition that it can win the debate on its own racist terms. Howard's plan must be rejected in its entirety."
The Queensland Mining Council has publicly welcomed the anti-native title noises made at the ALP conference.