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Indigenous Crisis Forces Unprecedented Call For Vote Against The Howard Government

16 August 2004 - ANTaR Media Release - Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) today recommended that voters concerned about Indigenous justice and reconciliation should not vote for the Coalition at the upcoming Federal election.

"This is the first time ANTaR, a non-party-political organisation, has recommended that people interested in reconciliation do not vote for the Coalition. ANTaR believes the proposals of the Howard Government to abolish a national Indigenous voice and return to mainstream service delivery will be disastrous and so we must make this recommendation," ANTaR National President, Phil Glendenning, said today.

"If voters are concerned about Indigenous justice and reconciliation they should not vote for the Coalition candidates, but direct their vote elsewhere."

ANTaR's call came in its 2004 Election Kit* - released publicly today - which is aimed at assisting reconciliation and other community groups to actively support Indigenous issues and candidates at the upcoming Federal election.

The launch of the 2004 Election Kit follows the release last Thursday of the third AMA Indigenous Health Report which stated that Indigenous health is currently under-funded by at least $452.5 million a year. "There is also a critical shortage of health professionals providing services to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders," said AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, in the AMA's media release.

"The Howard Government has failed to make a dent in the shocking rates of disadvantage faced by Indigenous people, particularly in relation to health," ANTaR National President Phil Glendenning said.

"Despite the Government's lack of outcomes on Indigenous issues, it has attacked Indigenous organisations and particularly ATSIC to undermine their financial, political and public support."

"The Howard Government has consistently ignored its responsibility to consult with Indigenous people about decisions that affect their lives. Its contemptuous attitude to Indigenous people is reflected in its decisions to abandon an independent Indigenous voice in policy-making and return to hand-picked Indigenous advisors."

"The 2004 Election Kit offers more information on the rationale for ANTaR's decision to recommend people vote for parties other than the Coalition. It does not endorse any particular political party."

The 2004 Election Kit includes a Report Card of the policies and priorities in Indigenous affairs of the major political parties, which was produced from responses sought from the major parties by ANTaR. The Election Kit covers issues such as reconciliation, self-determination, Indigenous disadvantage and native title as well as information about how to lobby parliamentarians, how to use the media and other suggested election activities.

*ANTaR's 2004 Election Kit and Report Card are available online at ANTaR's website at www.antar.org.au or you can contact the ANTaR office on (02) 95556138 for a printed version.

Dr David Cooper
National Coordinator Australians for Native Title & Reconciliation (ANTaR)
http://www.antar.org.au

Source: Australians for Native Title & Reconciliation (ANTaR)

ANTaR calls for Howard boycott

18 August 2004 - Sydney, NATIONAL: The nation's most respected advocacy organisation for black rights has broken a seven year rule of being apolitical by calling on voters who believe in justice for black Australians to boycott the Federal Coalition at the upcoming election.

In an unprecedented move, Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) - an organisation which boasts a support base of at least 300,000 - launched an election kit on Monday which aims to assist "reconciliation and other community groups to actively support Indigenous issues and candidates at the upcoming Federal election".

It was sparked, in part, by the Government's attempts to abolish ATSIC - the nation's peak Indigenous directly elected body - and replace it with a government-appointed advisory board, while simultaneously failing to "make a dent" in the ongoing Aboriginal health crisis.

"This is the first time ANTaR, a non-party-political organisation, has recommended that people interested in reconciliation do not vote for the Coalition," said ANTaR National President, Phil Glendenning.

"ANTaR believes the proposals of the Howard Government to abolish a national Indigenous voice and return to mainstream service delivery will be disastrous and so we must make this recommendation.

"If voters are concerned about Indigenous justice and reconciliation they should not vote for the Coalition candidates, but direct their vote elsewhere."

ANTaR's national coordinator, David Cooper told NIT it would be a mistake for people to believe ANTaR members would have automatically voted against the Howard government.

"Although obviously a large percentage of ANTaR's support base are probably more left leaning and might support Labor or the other [left leaning] parties, there's a certainly significant number of coalition voters who support ANTaR, and in some significant electorates."

Mr Cooper said ANTaR had already begun researching its membership base and the results of that research were expected in the next few weeks.

The launch of the 2004 Election Kit also follows the release last week of the third AMA Indigenous Health Report, which stated that Indigenous health is currently under-funded by at least $452.5 million a year.

"There is also a critical shortage of health professionals providing services to Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders," AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson said in the AMA's media release.

"The Howard Government has failed to make a dent in the shocking rates of disadvantage faced by Indigenous people, particularly in relation to health," Mr Glendenning said.

"Despite the Government's lack of outcomes on Indigenous issues, it has attacked Indigenous organisations and particularly ATSIC to undermine their financial, political and public support.

"The Howard Government has consistently ignored its responsibility to consult with Indigenous people about decisions that affect their lives.

"Its contemptuous attitude to Indigenous people is reflected in its decisions to abandon an independent Indigenous voice in policy-making and return to hand-picked Indigenous advisors.

"The 2004 Election Kit offers more information on the rationale for ANTaR's decision to recommend people vote for parties other than the Coalition. It does not endorse any particular political party."

Indigenous Affairs Minister, Amanda Vanstone's office did not respond to a request for comment at the time of press.

Source: National Indigenous Times

Direct your disdain not at the Liberals, but the man in charge

EDITORIAL

18 August 2004 - Our Prime Minister John Howard's behaviour in office has, to put it mildly, brought shame on this nation. And it's not like we didn't already have enough to apologise for.

Howard's own party colleagues have described him as 'mean and tricky' - and given The Australian's front page on Monday, which detailed that Howard did, in fact, lie about the Children Overboard affair, 'tricky' might be somewhat of an understatement. But it hasn't been his worst act in office.

Not by a long shot.

There's the none-too-small matter of his illegal war in Iraq and his demolition of black rights through the abolition of ATSIC, with nothing to replace it.

Given all Howard has done, it's easy for many working in Aboriginal Affairs to feel nothing but disdain for the party he represents.

The truth is, there are many good Liberals in government - men and women who honestly believe in an equal future for Aboriginal Australians (and honesty in government). But Howard's influence has been such that moderate Liberals have been cast as wet and useless.

Conservatives oppose rapid change - they want to preserve, which is not, of itself, a bad goal.

But Howard doesn't just oppose rapid change. He doesn't oppose slow change or even any change.

He opposes change that has long since happened and he wants to take Australia back to the policies of the 40s and 50s.

That's not conservatism - that's neolithic. It's the actions of a political caveman.

If the values of the 40s and 50s were so good, then what have we, as a nation, been doing for the last 60 years?

Of course, some of the great whitewashes in Aboriginal Affairs at a state and federal level have been inflicted by Labor governments. Bob Hawke promised a treaty and never delivered.

Peter Beattie has treated Indigenous Queenslanders with utter contempt over the stolen wages issue. Bob Carr hasn't done a whole lot better.

In Western Australia, Geoff Gallop called for Aboriginal people to "stop blaming the past" for current problems - spoken like a true, middle class white male who hasn't had his wages or relatives stolen from him. Clare Martin's government legislated against traditional marriages while the Tasmanian government continues to prosecute Indigenous people for exercising their cultural rights through fishing.

The Victorian Bracks government opposed the Yorta Yorta native title claim despite massive internal resistance from within its own ranks.

Still, without doubt the worst offender has been John Howard.

Howard may, or may not, win the next election - either way history dictates blackfellas will still get done over.

But if Howard does, those passionate about any decent future for black Australia had better hope that Peter Costello - or even Tony Abbott - take the reins quickly.

They're both untested, but neither could do a worse job than their boss. He has, quite simply, been a disaster for black Australia.

Chris Graham
Editor, National Indigenous Times

Further information: General Election 2004 clippings and information

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