Indigenous Rights Rejected
Mal Brough, The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister
Tomorrow the UN general assembly will take place and it is expected to finally adopt the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People after over 20 years of drafting.
It addresses individual and collective rights, cultural rights and identity, rights to education, health, employment and language. The declaration outlaws discrimination against indigenous people and promotes their full participation in all matters concerning their lives.
The Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough said the Australian Government supported the idea of the declaration, but not in its current form.
”The version currently in circulation is not workable and it would be divisive," he said today.
The way the declaration is written at present, the land rights would overrule the legitimate legal interests in land held by other people, he argued.
"There should only be one law for all Australians and we should not enshrine in law practices that are not acceptable in the modern world," he said.
New Zealand, the US, Canada, Russia and a large handful of other countries are also not expected to support the declaration.
Canada who originally supported the declaration has changed its stance after being lobbied last year by Prime Minister John Howard.
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council has urged the Government to change its position. Council chair Bev Manton said the UN vote may be Mr Howard's last chance to demonstrate genuine support for the rights of indigenous people.
"If he were to decide that Australia would vote in favor of the UN declaration, it would go some way towards rehabilitating our nation's currently poor international image," Ms Manton said.
Labor's indigenous affairs spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said Australia should become a signatory to the declaration. "The declaration is about the international community expressing its support for indigenous people and their children having an equal chance at life," she said.
"The Government should not be playing politics with this issue."
