Tuesday, 9 June 2020

TASMANIAN ABORIGINAL AFFAIRS AND GOVERNANCE


It will be the first time advocates have sat down with Mr Gutwein since he became Premier in January.
Aboriginal Land Council chair Michael Mansell said he had been overwhelmed by the support at Black Lives Matter rallies in Tasmania and across the country.
Mr Mansell, who spoke at the Launceston rally on Saturday, said the government should set up a Treaty Commission.
"The Commission should be armed with a draft treaty to be used for broad community consultations about how a treaty might work in practice," he said.
"The treaty could be based on sharing sovereignty with Aboriginal people, establishing a reparations fund and making a land settlement."
A treaty also would provide for two Aboriginal seats in the House of Assembly and three per cent of state gross domestic product, or about $93 million to provide housing and to run programs and services and protect Aboriginal heritage.
Mr Mansell said in an inclusive society, governments should try to focus on values of fairness and justice.
"It has been recognised throughout commonwealth countries that treaties and reparations comprise essential values in modern societies where the original people have suffered severely under European invasion.
"Aboriginal people and our representatives have pressed successive Tasmanian and Federal governments to address these fundamental remedies without success. That is no reason to walk away from the opportunity now before us."
Mr Mansell said people who attended Black Lives Matter rallies wanted to know how to achieve equality.
"There has been an outpouring of support and goodwill and ordinary people want to know how to express their views and support change," he said.
"They are looking for political leadership but no politicians are listening.
"We need to build on that momentum. Justice costs nothing."
The meeting will be held on Thursday.
Mr Gutwein said: "I look forward to meeting with Michael Mansell this week to discuss matters of importance to Tasmania's Aboriginal communities."

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