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Vanstone accused of dodging Indigenous meeting

Extract from Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC Online, on 12 April 2005

A Northern Territory Indigenous leader says Federal Government support for retaining regional representative bodies has dissolved since the abolition of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).

Representatives from 35 regional councils are meeting in Canberra this week to discuss what will happen once their contracts expire at the end of June.

The chairman of the Yilli Rreung regional council, Kimberley Hunter, says the Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Senator Amanda Vanstone is avoiding meeting the group.

He says state and territory governments are not offering a viable alternative.

"The reality is that the Labor Party really has no intentions in relation to trying to help facilitate that process," he said.

"They see the establishment of regional authorities as being the replacement for the Indigenous voice and some of us are concerned about that, for the simple fact that regional authorities or local government redress has not served Indigenous people well at all.

"We've seen no evidence from the Clare Martin Government in regards to working with the current arrangements and helping facilitate and helping to set up future representative bodies for Indigenous people.

"They see regional authorities or local government being the vehicle to address and represent Indigenous people and a lot of us really have concerns about that."

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