[Greens-Media] Permit system allows Indigenous control of Indigenous affairs: Greens

[Norton, Tim (Sen R. Siewert)]

Permit system allows Indigenous control of Indigenous affairs: Greens
Monday 10th November 2008

The Australian Greens today reiterated their position supporting
reinstatement of the permit system in the Northern Territory, stating
the need to place control back into the hands of the communities.

"Reinstating the permit system will be one step on the right path to
enabling Indigenous communities to manage their own lands," said
Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

"There has never been any evidence that abolishing the permit system
would help to combat child abuse - removing the permit system this was
part of an agenda by the Howard Government to take control of Indigenous
land." 

"When the Emergency Response legislation was introduced in 2007, the
former government went to great lengths to imply a relationship between
the permit system and child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities, but
were unable to give any concrete evidence. They failed to demonstrate
either correlation or causation," said Senator Siewert.

"The permit system did not stop the issues of child abuse and neglect
being 'discovered or addressed' there was report and after report on the
issue - it was lack of Government will to do anything about it that was
the problem.

"Indigenous communities have made very clear the importance of the
permit system as it relates to protection of property rights and
decision making about who is on their land. The Northern Territory
police told the Senate Inquiry on this issue how the permit system gave
them grounds to pull up suspicious characters which helped their efforts
against carpet bagging, drug smuggling and grog running."

"Greater resources are still needed to tackle the disadvantage produced
by three decades of government neglect and lack of will to address
Aboriginal disadvantage. "

"The Greens support the restoration of the permit system. This is not an
issue of tourism, public access, visibility or sidelining, as has been
suggested. It is simply about ensuring Indigenous control of Indigenous
land," she concluded.

The permit system and the Northern Territory Emergency Response is
expected to be debated in the Senate later this year.

For more information or media enquiries please call Tim Norton on 0418
401 180