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Should First Nations people vote? 2013 ELECTION “The only enlightened moment in Australian politics in terms of policies towards Aborigines was the brief period of about six months when we believed [Gough] Whitlam when he said he was going to grant us land rights. But then Whitlam sold us down the drain. He didn’t give us land rights. That was a good lesson showing the duplicity and deceit of all Australian politicians. If anyone out there thinks voting in a different mob is going to change anything, then you’re fools. If anyone is scaremongering about Abbott coming in and how awful it’s going to be, how much more awful can it be than now? This election is not going to change anything. Australia’s going to continue along in its normal, deeply embedded racist way. I would encourage anyone not to vote. I don’t waste my time.
Gary Foley gumbaynggir veteran activist & historian
The Greens are probably the best of an incredibly bad lot. But if you’re going to vote for an independent or some of the smaller parties, then you’ve got to look where your vote is ultimately going to go. Through preferences the ALP is likely to end up with your vote anyway.” Alec doomadgee gangalidda, garawa & waanyi Gulf community leader & activist “I vote for the pure fact that our culture, laws and customs are based on respect. I respect every man, woman and child that marched and fought for the right to have me vote. I’ll make sure I vote for people I want in politics and I want in Canberra, people who I know will represent our people like Bob Katter or the Greens. I’ll never vote for Labor, Liberals or Nationals, because their policies are always the same.” “As someone who has been voting since I was old enough to vote, I think it’s come to an interesting political climate at the moment where Labor and Liberal are just as bad as each other. The Greens have allowed a lot of policies to go on like the Northern Territory Intervention, so they’re not really doing any better when it comes to Indigenous issues and trying to leverage the disparity between our people and non-Aboriginal peoples. If we keep being a part of this system, we’re just giving it credibility, and in the end that’s what this Western society and government really wants, for us to become a part of this system so they can ultimately control us. There have been a lot of battles that have been fought in the past in order for us to have that say [voting]. But then again, a lot of people have actually asked, was that [1967 referendum] a back step?
lorna munro gamilaraay & wiradjuri Sydney based artist, poet & activist April 8, 2013
What I would really like to see is the mandate given for the establishment of a Black parliament.” PAGE 1
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“I believe that Aboriginal people need to take a more active engagement with who they want to represent them in parliament.
“Prior to the 1967 referendum when we weren’t classed as citizens, not much has changed since then. We’re still living in the same conditions in Aboriginal communities all over the country.
Regardless of whether or not we believe they should be able to represent us, they do have the legislative power, whether it’s right or wrong, to make decisions that will affect our lives. So, instead of choosing to ignore that, I think we need to embrace it to create change that we want.
Mangubadijarri Yanner gangalidda, Bond University IR student
I think our mob need to come together as one and sit down and really discuss sovereignty, treaty, a bill of rights or something that’s going to advance us as a people, because it’s only us who are going to do it, no one else.
I think their policies are pretty similar [Labor & Liberal] which is sad, but I think it just gives us more incentive to take charge of our own affairs and bring the issues to a forefront. It is very unfortunate that Labor and Liberal, both major parties have very paternal and sometimes discriminatory aspects to their policies.”
I saw a really good quote the other day on Facebook by Malcolm X: I’ve got more respect for a man who’s going to tell me the truth to my face and just be outright racist or evil [Tony Abbott & LNP] than someone who’s going to come up like an angel and is nothing but a devil [Julia Gillard & Labor].
“First and foremost, people have got to look at their own status. When there is no recognition of you and your rights are basically being denied by the white establishment and the white government in this country, why would you want to have anything to do with it?
I won’t vote for anyone in the Australian political system, because at the end of the day, I don’t want to vote for someone on someone else’s country to make laws on someone else’s country. If blackfellas are going to vote for either Liberal or Labor, we’re still going to be under the same dictatorship that we have been under for the last 230 years. I’ve never voted.”
Boe spearim gamilaraay media student, radio co-host & activist
Some people think it’s best to be inside and to make changes from within [the political system]. A number of Aboriginal people have been with a number of political parties on the Federal and State level, and they’ve always had to tow the line of the political parties.
“To me, it has nothing to do with what party they belong to, or what they stand for. It’s about restoring and living the reality of our identities as First Nations people. A key part of this is knowing how our law applies in the context of modern society. A principle in many of our nations’ law is that we must not speak for other nations’ country. If we vote in an election to choose a representative to speak for the people and country of one of the nations of this continent, without the consent of that nation, how are we anything but colonizers of our own people and legitimizing that colonization?
I’m not prepared to vote for a government or for a party, or to participate in the Westminster system that denies Aboriginal people basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
BOB WEATHERALL gamilaraay veteran activist & cultural advocate
Go out to your own country, with your own community, sit down with them and build their capacities and tribal governance, and revive and maintain their culture. Establish their viable economic responsibilities to their own land and to their own people. Why would you want to go join a party that violates your peoples’ basic human rights? They [politicians] don’t have free prior and informed consent of the traditional owners outside on the ground. Read Kevin Gilbert’s [1973] book - Because a White Man’ll Never Do It.”
phil winzer ngarabal cultural advocate
If our law has precedence, then we must respect and follow it, even when what our law says is right on this country is declared illegal by the colonial system, contrary to our basic human rights and rights as Indigenous peoples.” MICHAEL ANDERSON euahlayi 1972 Tent Embassy co-founder & veteran activist
“Travelling back to when the Australian Constitution was drafted, we were recognized as plants. We’re a democratic country, so we are entitled to have a say. We need to have a say. If I didn’t vote and Tony Abbott or someone else was elected, and I didn’t like what they were doing, I don’t think I would have the right to whinge about it. Voting is about being involved, it’s about being a part of the democracy where we can make government responsible for their choices. We need to get more of us into the political system to we make sure that we’re heard.
“I think blackfellas should stay out of it and concentrate on our own mob. We don’t belong to ‘Australia’. We belong to our own Aboriginal states. On the other hand, blackfellas can exercise their dual citizenship, because in the Australian Constitution, in the citizenry act we have the right to hold dual citizenship.”
If you [as a First Nations person] are going to run for parliament, you should do one of the following three in your chosen electorate: get permission from the community, be ELISE WALL kabi kabi QUT law/psych student & Congress delegate recognized by the community or be from that community.”
First Nations Telegraph wants your views on the upcoming election. Send an email to callum@firstnationstelegraph.com and we’ll organize an interview!
April 8, 2013
April 8, 2013
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