Our mob's future isn't in our hands

I’ve stood for ATSIC twice and enjoyed the highs and lows or winning and failing and yet I still support the democratic process. My father stood successfully for office twice, and stood a third time unsuccessfully and he also endorses the elected model.

Democracy, a 4th century BC Greek term meaning “popular government”, is what epitomises the good in western society as opposed to the bad in a dictatorial regime, but yet it is the very word that Tom Calma’s esteemed committee has sought to white-out in this report.

Perhaps it is the Indigenous people who have been white-outed by their own mob.

I attended the Brisbane community consultation process for this new structure, as well as being fortunate to be selected - along with 100 other Indigenous leaders from around the country - to meet for three days in Adelaide with Tom Calma and his committee, and I don’t recall, in any group discussions, hearing about the concepts arrived at in the final report.

I hope Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin will intervene on behalf of Indigenous Australians and insist on a re-write of the Our Future In Our Hands report.

Perhaps I was being naïve to think my views, like the many others’ which were also tabled, would be taken seriously in the final analysis.

Minister Macklin sits in her privileged position today because of an adherence to the democratic process and surely she would view a communal structure devoid of the rigour covered in that process, a failed one in need of urgent repair.

Minister Macklin, as part of the Australian government, endorsed the potential sacrifice of our fit and healthy young army personnel to fight wars we didn’t start to ensure the democratic process is not only done but also seen to be done. Incongruously, if she endorses Calma’s report, she effectively says to all Indigenous Australians that we can’t be trusted to make decisions through the democratic process.

And further that we can’t be trusted with money or influence.

What would all the good, white, handsomely remunerated public servants do if those demanding blacks regained control over the purse strings and the decision making processes concerning their people?

To put this divisive debate into perspective I draw attention to the fact that there was no public outcry in Australia regarding the 500 Australian army personnel placed in danger to guarantee the safety of 15 million registered Afghanistan voters at the polls recently. When the polls closed Prime Minister Rudd congratulated his men and women in uniform: “Well done on what you have done in what is a very violent environment, to make it possible for as many people in Afghanistan to get out there and vote as possible."

Although less than 50 per cent of voters bothered to vote - far lower than the 70 per cent who voted in the presidential elections in 2004, the Afghanistan election outcome nevertheless was seen as a success for democracy.