NT blackfellas labour for a better life

The ALP had been sustained in the political wilderness for two decades by the support received from predominantly Aboriginal bush electorates. CLP officials openly taunted their rivals about the political attraction of the Aboriginal Labor Party.

The election of a Martin Labor Government was seen by Aboriginal people throughout the territory as the start of a new era of inclusion. A victory for the true believers. They would finally have a champion in a position of power. An ally in a position to change the wretched socio-economic conditions in the bush.

It was to prove a false hope. People now talk of a victory for the true deceivers.

Things looked encouraging in the beginning. Martin made all the right public noises about governing for all territorians. She was feted at the Garma Festival in Arnhem Land shortly after the election. But relations soon soured when two ALP officials turned up at the offices of the major territory land councils and delivered a clear message: The focus for the first term of the new government would be the northern suburbs.

There would be no public antagonism to the aspirations of Aboriginal territorians but the government’s eye was firmly set on re-election. Its future depended on keeping sweet with the voters in the suburbs. The strategy worked.

The Martin Government was re-elected last June for another four-year term. The election saw five Aboriginal members elected to the treasury benches but there was little celebratory song and dance in the bush.

Veteran Labor stalwarts shook their heads in disgust when the Martin Government began the election campaign by rolling out the race card in the form of an anti-social behaviour policy which announced habitual drunks would get treatment or face jail. No one in the territory was in any doubt about who the policy was directed against and to which voters it was directed.

It followed increasingly virulent attacks by the government on traditional marriage and customary law and unilateral discussion with the Howard Government and Mundine, as a member of Howard’s hand-picked National Indigenous Council, on changes to the Aboriginal Land Rights Act.

Precious little had been done by the government to improve the appalling infrastructure for Aboriginal communities. Those same stalwarts had long suspected the chief minister had been captured by a bunch of conservative bureaucrats and political advisers imported from southern states.

The feelings of old party hands is best reflected in an urgency motion which was carried by the recent conference. It was a clear public slap-down for Chief Minister Martin and her special guest, Mr Mundine.

The four part motion read:

Territory Labor: