www.firstnationstelegraph.com
National Congress fuels the flames of their fiery demise by Stephen Hagan 21 January 2014
T
he National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples received the one public message they hoped they wouldn’t receive from a force far greater than their collective exaggerated sense of political rank; a media release in December from Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion announcing they would not receive the promised $15 million allocated by Labor in the last Budget in the new financial year. In effect – besides cutting them off at the knees by taking away their funds - Minister Scullion made it patently clear he would no longer take counsel from the
National Congress on matters pertaining to their charter of giving political advice on all matters Indigenous specific. The National Congress was set up by the Labor Government in April 2010 as a replacement model for the defunct ATSIC. In fact it was April 16, 2004 that Prime Minister John Howard announced he would move, within the month, to replace ATSIC with an appointed advisory body and hand back funding to mainstream departments. Back then Howard said he “would not replace ATSIC with an alternative body,” but instead would appoint a group of “distinguished Indigenous people” to advise his government. The “distinguished Indigenous
people” did materialize and was chaired by Magistrate Sue Gordon and included current PM’s Indigenous Advisory Council chair, Warren Mundine. One of the first things Howard did in policy design was to force young Aboriginal people who lived on traditional lands to leave their communities and move where there is work, or undertake training in large regional townships. If they breached this policy directive they would be terminated from their Community Development Employment Program. Fast forward to January 2014 and it seems the more things change the more they stay the same. Tony Abbott, through Nigel Scullion, effectively sacks the National
From left: Venessa Curnow (Director, re-elected), Tammy Solonec (Director, ongoing), Daphne Yarram (Director, ongoing), Dr Mark McMillan (Director, newly elected), Kirstie Parker (Co-Chair Elect), Rod Little (Director, ongoing), Jody Broun (Co-Chair, outgoing), and Gerry Moore (Director, newly elected).
Page 1
www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Congress of Australia’s First Peoples and hand picks his Indigenous advisory body. He engages mining magnate Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest to undertake a national review of Indigenous employment. Only time will tell whether there are any implications of Forrest’s employment review of moving traditional owners off their lands. One thing is for sure, and that is the National Congress will not morph into another political entity that will hold sway over the current Abbott administration. Well at least not anytime soon whilst Warren Mundine assumes the conclusive role of principal Indigenous advisor to the Prime Minister. Les Malezer, National Congress co-chair told a community meeting in Alice Springs last week that Congress would now downsize, after receiving the gloomy news of funding cuts by Nigel Scullion, in order to survive. Part of the sales pitch Malezer, his co-chair Kirstie Parker and their directors promulgated at that meeting is “there is strength in numbers and now is the time to stand up and be counted”. It’s a bit like the proverbial “shutting the gate after the horse has bolted” oratory to the populace that has plagued National Congress almost from its inception. So effective was their Ethics Council of culling undesirable applicants from becoming candidates for the three chambers of the National Congress, that on the day of their second term elections in North Queensland, they didn’t even have enough candidates to fill all their vacant positions. Now Malezer and Parker travel the country with their merry band
Page 2
National Congress co-chair, Les Malezer
of directors boosting their frequent flyer points and travel allowance allocations to do high fives and chest beating at meaningless community meetings as if their leadership should never be questioned. I suggested in my editorial of January 1 that the National Congress might be better served – after receiving the near fatal funding cut news from the Minister – to call for expressions of interest from the Indigenous community to attend an expert panel national forum to plan for the way ahead. I suggested they invite 100 representatives, with gender equity and a balance of youth and Elders, with 10 representatives each coming for the areas of education, health, law, housing, native title, sovereignty, arts, sports, business and employment. I added that by going on the offensive with a national forum, the National Congress will go from being irrelevant and tired to a body with a plan worthy of our mob’s consideration. By no means am I the font of all knowledge on these matters, but if 100 delegates were deemed too
financially extravagant for them, they could’ve reduced the delegates for the forum down to 50 or at worse, 20; being two representatives of all those interest groups. Even if Abbott and Mundine didn’t feel the least bit challenged by such a national forum – I’m sure they would’ve curiously investigated – via their many moles – the outcome of that forum and its potential implications. As the forum suggestion wasn’t taken up – and no viable alternative considered - there is now zero consternation on the part of Abbott and Mundine to a national voice of dissent. Instead Malezer, Parker and their fellow buoyant directors have chosen the softer option of accruing frequent flyer points whilst travelling the nation meeting with a few like minded people – or those wanting a free feed and some news to gossip about. It’s a bit like Flo Bjelke-Petersen travelling Queensland in the 1970s and 80s entertaining and serving potential National Party voters with her famous pumpkin scones with a big smile whilst being the consummate convivial hostess. The only confirmation most of our mob will garner from this inexplicable valedictory national tour is that the National Congress is tired, irrelevant and devoid of any ideas on how to survive past June 30 this year, other than to plead “there is strength in numbers and now is the time to stand up and be counted”. Sorry Les and Kirstie, the only counting of numbers at your community meetings is of how many pumpkin scones or rib bones our mob can chew on at your farewell grand tour of the nation.