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Nelson pleads with Rudd not to retreat from NT intervention
Thursday, 29 November 2007
5:10:43 PM
By Adam Gartrell
NATIONAL, November 29, 2007: New federal Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson has pleaded with Prime Minister-elect Kevin Rudd not to retreat from the coalition's radical intervention into Northern Territory Aboriginal communities.
Dr Nelson made special mention of the intervention today during his first press conference as leader of the Liberal Party.
His plea came shortly after Mr Rudd announced Jenny Macklin would become Indigenous affairs minister, after having responsibility for the portfolio in opposition for the past year.
"Whatever the differences between the two major sides of politics, Aboriginal babies born today still, after all we have done, have only a one-in-three chance of seeing the age of 65," Dr Nelson said.
"The appalling circumstances that led to the intervention need to be changed and addressed.
"They're the things ultimately by which we'll be judged.
"It is extraordinarily important that it not be the subject of partisan party politics, and literally young Aboriginal Australian lives rely on it."
Dr Nelson said Mr Rudd would come under "enormous pressure" from within his own party to retreat from the intervention.
Labor pledged bipartisan support for the intervention when it was announced in June, even though many in the party opposed it.
It has already pledged to roll back two key planks of the intervention: the abolition of Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) program - known as an Aboriginal work-for-the-dole scheme - and changes to the permit system.
But Mr Rudd today indicated continued general support for the intervention.
"There will be a 12-month review and it won't be earlier," Mr Rudd told reporters after announcing his frontbench.
"And I said repeatedly before the election this has to be given an opportunity to work, I was serious about that, I'm serious about it now."
Mr Rudd said the year ahead would be "crucial" in indigenous affairs and Ms Macklin was well qualified to deal with the challenges.
Olga Havnen of the Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the NT said Ms Macklin's appointment to the portfolio would provide vital continuity in Indigenous policy, particularly regarding the intervention.
Ms Havnen said she wanted to see Labor push forward with a "realigned and better focused" intervention.
Tasmanian Aboriginal leader Michael Mansell welcomed Ms Macklin's appointment but called on Mr Rudd to directly involve himself in Aboriginal issues.
"Aboriginal people will be looking for statements and actions from Mr Rudd and Ms Macklin to indicate things are going to be different from the dark and traumatic Howard years," Mr Mansell said. - AAP
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