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Dodson backs Labor on reconciliation

26 November 2007 - Leading Aboriginal activist Mick Dodson says he is confident progress on reconciliation will be achieved with the new Labor government.

But he says it might be useful to have a review of the federal intervention in Northern Territory indigenous communities.

Outgoing indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough, who lost his Queensland seat in Saturday's federal election, has called on Labor to continue the intervention for which Labor gave bipartisan support while in opposition.

Professor Dodson, director of the National Centre for Indigenous Studies at the Australian National University, said Labor in power federally and at state and territory levels could aid reconciliation.

"This new federal government and given that we've got state and territory governments from the same party, all of us need to get involved and there's no time for excuses now," he told ABC Radio.

"It's an opportunity for us to build a national plan to actually tackle all these practical problems that confront indigenous Australia and are holding up reconciliation."

Prof Dodson is calling on the new government to listen to Aboriginal people and base decisions on evidence.

" ... by listening to Aboriginal people, not just a select few, and respecting our ideas, and our culture and who we are and involving us closely and respectfully in developing programs that affect us," he said.

"And secondly, basing policy on all the evidence - 'cause we know what works. The answers, while they may be complex, in many situations are well known to us."

Prof Dodson, who supported the NT intervention on the basis the government was taking child sexual abuse seriously, said a review would be beneficial.

"(Prime Minister-elect) Mr Rudd indicated five months ago that he would review it.

"It may be useful to bring his planned review forward, rather the 12 month period, I understand it's running into some difficulties (and) perhaps it's time to assess and evaluate the approach."

Earlier, Labor's deputy leader Julia Gillard suggested the new government would soon say "sorry" to the indigenous people of Australia.

"It's certainly Labor policy, obviously we haven't made an announcement about timing and that's a matter for Kevin (Rudd) to deal with," she told ABC Radio.

"It's certainly long-standing Labor policy and I absolutely support it.

"And I also absolutely support us taking the practical measures that would make a difference to the huge life expectancy gap and the lack of opportunity that so many indigenous Australians face in their lives."

Source: The Age

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