from Solidarity for Land Rights, Tasmania
After 200 years, in July this year the Tasmanian parliament had
the opportunity to begin the process of reconciliation with the
Tasmanian Aboriginal community by legislating for the return of
land. The Legislative Council (Tasmania's 'Upper' House) however
chose to reject the Tasmanian Government's Aboriginal Lands Bill
on the basis of personal prejudice and a lack of understanding of
fundamental social reform issues.
The Legislative Council comprising of 19 Councillors is
notorious for its unrepresentative nature. All its members are
Anglo-Saxon men, almost exclusively middle aged to elderly. The
members are elected for six year terms on an electorate
gerrymander that gives some Tasmanians four times the vote of
other Tasmanians. The House never goes to a full election and has
the ability to block supply and thereby bring down a duly elected
government without going to an election itself. Amongst other
bills recently opposed by the upper house are homosexual law
reform, natural death acts and gun law reform.
Whilst the Aboriginal Lands Bill falls short of the Aboriginal
communities expectations the Bill provided for the transfer of 20
sites of cultural, spiritual and historic significance to the
Tasmanian Aboriginal Land Council to administer it on behalf of
the Aboriginal community. This land amounts to approximately
53,000 hectares of land most of which is on the Bass Strait
Islands. The areas of land that are the main focus of Aboriginal
concern comprise less than 1% of the land area of Tasmania.
Since the Royal Commission on Land Rights in the Northern
Territory headed by Justice Woodward presented its report in 1975,
Land Rights in one form or another has been enacted in every state
and Territory except Tasmania. This latest action by the
Legislative Council has exposed again just how out of touch the
Legislative Council and Tasmania is in relation to this
fundamental justice issue.
Solidarity for Land Rights has been working over the last 18
months in support of the Tasmanian Aboriginal community's quest
for Land Rights. We will be joining other community groups in a
campaign against the upper house. However we urgently need to hear
voices of protest from groups on the mainland to assist us in our
campaign for Land Rights.
% Please send a notice of protest (asking it to be tabled in the
Legislative Council) to:
Mr George Shaw President of the Legislative Council Parliament
House Hobart Tasmania 7000
and/or
The Mercury Newspaper 93 Macquarie Street Hobart Tasmania 7000
% We also ask if you would forward copies of your letters to:
Solidarity for Land Rights 102 Bathurst Street Hobart Tasmania
7000.
this will assist us in our campaign efforts. We thank you for
your support.
Yours sincerely,
Kaylene Allan for Solidarity for Land Rights
.