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Member for Braitling Adam Giles Adam Giles. |
Deceased brought out to sign dodgy petition: CLC
ISSUE 180 - 25 Jun 2009
By Amy McQuire
NORTHERN TERRITORY
ISSUE 180, June 25, 2009: THE NT Opposition's only Aboriginal MLA this month tabled a petition signed by about 450 people from the Aboriginal community of Hermannsburg.
The only problem was, some of the people are dead.
The petition accuses the Central Land Council (CLC) of blocking key developments in the community, situated west of Alice Springs, and calls for direct negotiation with the federal government over its own affairs.
"This country is ours and we wish to control it ourselves without the Central Land Council," the petition says according to media.
Member for Braitling Adam Giles* tabled the petition in NT Parliament last Thursday, but the CLC denounced it as a "fraud" and slammed Mr Giles for failing to conduct "simple research".
CLC Director David Ross says that there were many factors that had lead the organisation to "doubt its veracity".
"The petition contains the names of people who have been dead for 12 months, names appear on it more than once, it's written in Pitjantjatjara but most of the people who purportedly signed it speak other languages and dozens of signatures appear to be forged," Mr Ross said in a statement.
"This petition doesn't represent a groundswell of ill-feeling against the CLC, this petition represents either the malicious nature of the Country Liberal's Aboriginal affairs spokesman or his sloppy attention to detail and lazy journalism."
Mr Ross also raised concerns that the petition was outdated and not addressed to anyone.
It was not clear which organization or individual had produced it.
Mr Giles hit back at the CLC on his official blog stating that although the petition had been delivered anonymously to his office, he had felt a duty to submit it to the government. He also stated he had someone check its facts.
"I don't know how long it took to get the petitions, someone could have passed away in between signing and it arriving at my office a month ago or so," Mr Giles wrote.
"It was a non-conforming petition because addresses and names were not on there, only signatories. These types of petitions are submitted more often than others because of incorrect format etc.
"Yes, some signatories were written by the same person (sometimes literacy is a problem for many Indigenous Territorians and I concluded that someone else writing the name was better than simply an X being placed as peoples names).
"While the CLC may want to shoot the messenger or the design or wording of the petition, the fact remains they are continuing to miss the point that Aboriginal people on the ground want more say over how their affairs are run."
Mr Giles said he was not attacking the CLC but said the council "cannot see past constituent criticism about the need for reform".
"These comments are derived from conversations with Aboriginal people and it is my duty to express such sentiments. We should be supporting Aboriginal Territorians in trying to express their views. " he said.
But Mr Ross said the organisation welcomed differing views, as long as it was legitimate.
"The land council has no problem with people complaining if that's how they feel, but they shouldn't be misled to gain their signature on a petition, nor other people sign for them, nor should they be resurrected from the dead to be included on a petition," Mr Ross said.
* Mr Giles' wife Tamara is a part-owner of NIT and a former staff member.
 
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