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Labor politicians call on Rudd to roll back NT intervention
Monday, 26 November 2007
9:44:16 AM
By Tara Ravens
DARWIN, November 26, 2007: Labor politicians in the Northern Territory are calling on Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd and his ALP government to act quickly and roll back aspects of the intervention into Aboriginal communities.
When the man behind the radical reforms, Minister for Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough, lost his Brisbane seat on Saturday night he asked that the measures to stamp out child abuse continue.
"Not for me, not for some ideology, but for the children of the next generation - please give this a chance to work," Mr Brough said.
But federal Labor MP Warren Snowdon - who retained the outback Territory seat of Lingiari - said the swing against the Liberal government sent a clear message.
"The CLP (Country Liberal Party) said this election was a referendum on the intervention, well if that's what they see it as being they've got their answer," he said.
"(Aboriginal people) want to be dealt with fairly and they want people to sit down and talk with them, not talk at them."
Mr Snowdon said he hoped the new Labor government - which supported the reforms through parliament - moved quickly to reinstate Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) and reverse the scrapping of permits that control the access of non-Indigenous people onto Aboriginal land.
"(Aboriginal people) want to make decisions jointly not have decisions made about them or for them," he said.
Dislike for Mr Brough is strong within the NT government and thunderous applause greeted the news he had lost his seat during ALP celebrations in Darwin on Saturday night.
NT Chief Minister Clare Martin said a federal Labor government marked a new era in Aboriginal affairs in the Territory.
"There are things I'll be taking straight away to Canberra to have turned back and that's the abolition of CDEP, the second phase of the permit system.
"And then that stupid $100 liquor law (under which someone purchasing more than $100 worth of liquor must provide identification and say where they intend to consume it) - that's got to go," she said.
"We will work with the Rudd Labor government in partnership and that's what's been missing so far."
The Territory CLP's Nigel Scullion, who will remain in the senate but lose his community services portfolio, said Mr Rudd had backed the intervention and should continue to support it.
"Kevin Rudd has said that he will ensure that we have the fundamentals of the intervention will be maintained," he told ABC Radio.
"I would appeal, as has Mal Brough, to the Australian Labor Party to maintain the rage in terms of the intervention.
"Our first Australians deserve no less."
It is unclear what steps will now be taken by Mr Rudd, who was quick to back the intervention and give it bipartisan support despite sharing some of the concerns of his colleagues. - AAP
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