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Aboriginal leader calls for scrutiny of Brough's business
Monday, 18 February 2008
8:51:16 AM
CANBERRA, February 18, 2008: An Indigenous leader has called on federal parliament to look into the legitimacy of former Indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough's current business dealings with a Northern Territory Aboriginal community.
Mr Brough, who lost his Queensland seat of Longman at the November federal election, has recently been spotted on the Tiwi Islands and is reportedly working on a business project from which he is seeking to profit.
Mr Brough and his business partners have reportedly been working with the Tiwi Land Council on the project, believed to be based in the community of Nguiu.
Nguiu was the only community during Mr Brough's time as minister to give up control of their land for 99 years under a controversial lease scheme.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma yesterday said there should be more scrutiny of Mr Brough's dealings in the Tiwis.
"As minister, Mr Brough, to be able to get (Nguiu) to sign up to a 99-year lease, provided them with a very significant amount of funding," Mr Calma told Network Ten.
"And as Aboriginal people, they will feel there is a reciprocal obligation and engage him.
"I think the question that I am surprised has not been asked, is this a legitimate way to go forward?"
Mr Calma said he had concerns Mr Brough may be trying to take advantage of Indigenous people.
"I think the parliament needs to look at that," he said.
Mr Brough said Mr Calma's comments were "disgusting and ill-founded".
"It just shows where this man comes from, and he needs to have a long, hard look at where his priorities lie, and his priorities should be lying with the protection of children who he has responsibility for, but he has failed at his duty," Mr Brough said.
Mr Brough did not go into details about the specific projects but said he and his partners were taking on all the risk - investing massive sums of money - in the hope they would provide jobs for local people and better their lives.
Locals were not being asked to invest any money in the projects, but would share in the profits if there were any, he said.
Mr Brough said Mr Calma's comments would not stop him.
"This is a barb I fully expected would come sooner or later, you just wouldn't expect it would come from the Indigenous human rights commissioner." - AAP
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