Dispossession by stealth

"The whole thing is bound up to be a great failure," long-time director of the Central Land Council David Ross told The Australian journalist Stuart Rintoul, (8/10/2005), suggesting that education is a much greater issue with "at least two generations running around uneducated".

What chances have those generations who are uneducated got of managing a home loan with all its complex rates of repayments including fixed, variable, discounted variable or interest only loans, plus house and content insurance and default payments for dishonoured cheques and so on?

But is homeownership really the agenda of the prime minister? - I think not.

As for his federal policy of 99-year leases within Indigenous communities I support the views of Palm Island Council chairwoman Erykah Kyle's description of the move as “a land grab”.

The question needs to be asked: why the debate on leasing arrangements? A leasing arrangement is currently possible under the existing Aboriginal Land Rights Act since 1976, with Kakadu and Uluru national parks being two conspicuous examples. Stuart Rintoul reports the prevalence of petrol-sniffing among Uluru's traditional owners at Mutujulu hardly makes a strong case for leases leading to improved social and economic conditions.

In Alice Springs, David Ross says the proposed amendments to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act could prevent traditional owners from having control over future commercial developments on their land under sub-leasing arrangements and will create divisions between Aborigines.

It is the oldest trick in the world, divide and conquer, used sparingly by the ruling class to sort out their Indigenous population, when urged on by big business. I guess that may well be the motive of pied piper Johnny in introducing the debate on Indigenous property rights.

And if you think non-Indigenous people won’t live in large Indigenous communities, try driving through rural and remote communities and see who occupies the large imposing homes on the outskirts of town, strategically positioned along river or beach frontage, with the mandatory doberman roaming the large enclosure to ward off uninvited guests. Money will lure people to work and live anywhere.

I can clearly visualise the beautiful beaches and the sweeping views of Yarrabah, Palm Island, Cherbourg, Wreck Bay, Framlingham, Raukkan, Beagle Bay, Melville Island and Oyster Bay, to name a few, being leased to wealthy businessmen. Lost forever will be the unlimited access of the traditional owners to their lands for cultural or recreational pursuits. Impeding their access to centuries of traditional rights will be large business enterprises and resort style homes legally fenced off under newly acquired leases for 99 years.

As the old saying goes “possession is nine tenths of the law”.

Pied piper Johnny’s commendable home ownership tune is intended to fascinate and mesmerise but to me it is surely a furphy while the real jewel in the crown, Indigenous land rights, are being legislated away.

“It was beautiful and simple as all truly great swindles are.”