news | action | information | events | contact | search | news | action | information | events | contact | search |
key indigenous australian issues
| home | news lAboriginal candidates are few, but determinedBy CLAIRE O'ROURKE Now she's taking the hard road, running as an independent in the new NT seat of Solomon. "It's always been my desire to represent the people of the Northern Territory in politics - the CLP knew that from the start," she said. Ms Austin, an Aboriginal woman who lives in the Darwin suburb of Nightcliff, has witnessed politicians' rhetoric on Aboriginal issues in many elections. But little progress appears to have been made on the wellbeing of Aborigines, she says. Four out of five Labor Aboriginal candidates may have been elected at the recent NT poll, but at the federal level there is still little indigenous representation, Ms Austin says. And safe seats for indigenous aspirants are few and far between. Nominations are yet to close, but at this stage the Democrats have three indigenous House of Representatives candidates in Victoria and Queensland, and will lead their NT Senate ticket with Aboriginal David Curtis, a native title holder and former ATSIC commissioner. Mr Curtis, from Tennant Creek, says the election of four Aboriginal candidates in the NT Parliament was something "never thought possible". "To me that is a tangible demonstration of reconciliation," he said. Indigenous people ought to stand in all elections, he says, but should strive to win them on merit. "The toughest aspect, I think, is getting there in the first place, and being recognised and accepted to be a credible candidate - to represent everybody, not just indigenous people," he said. The Greens are still preselecting, but will run Matt Rigney - a Ngarrindjeri elder best known for his involvement in recent protests over the Hindmarsh Island bridge - in the safe Liberal seat of Barker in South Australia, held by Patrick Secker. A spokesman for the Liberals said he did not know if any Aboriginal candidates were running for the party. The National Party has none. The late senator Neville Bonner was a Liberal, but Labor has not had an Aboriginal federal MP. This election, Labor was to run Aboriginal woman, Pat Dixon, known locally as "Aunty Pat", in the safe National seat of New England, but she died suddenly two weeks ago. Annette McCarthy, daughter of a former New South Wales state MP, Bill McCarthy, has been preselected. Warren Mundine, uncle of boxer and rugby league star Anthony Mundine, will run third on the ALP's New South Wales Senate ticket. Mr Mundine says Aboriginal issues have been swamped by international security and immigration in this election campaign. But the biggest challenge, he says, is to encourage Aboriginal people to vote in the first place. In his hometown of Dubbo, he estimates there are 3000 potential voters, but only 400 to 500 vote. "They see it as a white man's game," he said. "They don't connect it to ATSIC funding or school funding." The Australian Electoral Commission acknowledges there are particular challenges in reaching Aboriginal voters. But the recently elected Aboriginal member for the Western Australia seat of Kimberley, Carol Martin, sees more participation by local Aborigines in the political process than ever before. "They're talking about preselection - they weren't talking about it before," she said. Ms Martin says health, education, employment and native title are said to be the biggest issues facing Aboriginal people in this election. Back in Solomon, Maisie Austin hopes to make her mark. She says Darwin's accepting multicultural society makes Solomon a unique seat, which she hopes will be hers in a few weeks. "This is a new seat, nobody owns the seat, it is a winnable seat," she said. Source: The Age related links :
|
Urgent action ‘From Little Things Big Things Grow’ Music by The GetUp Mob! Kev Carmody and lots more
|
|
