Howard Not Interested In Aboriginal Heritage

Member for Lingiari and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern Australia and Indigenous Affairs Warren Snowdon said today the Federal Government was walking away from its 2003 commitment to bring forward laws to protect Indigenous heritage.

Mr Snowdon said the failure was a clear indication that the Howard Government had no idea how important the Indigenous cultural heritage was to our image of ourselves as Australians.

'If he had any understanding, he'd be doing his utmost to protect it, but it seems he hasn't got the ticker for the task,' he said.

'It's 10 years since the Evatt Inquiry reviewed the current legislation and made a number of constructive suggestions about how it could be strengthened.

'And it's three years since Senator Hill promised there would be new legislation brought in as quickly as possible.

'In the meantime, the government has taken no action to protect significant items and places of Aboriginal heritage and refuses to recognise that they are important to us all.

'For example, the Gurindji people have applied for Wave Hill to be on the National Heritage List and it's already been put on the NT Heritage List.

'But the Federal Minister has sat on his hands.

'I realise that in these days of history wars a place like Wave Hill might be an inconvenient reminder of what happened to Aboriginal people even in Australia's recent history.

'But it's a milestone in the history of land rights and a significant story in modern industrial relations, as well as being part of the legacy of today's Gurindji people.

'Not having places like this under the full protection of the law is the clearest indication yet that Aboriginal heritage is nowhere on John Howard's radar,' Mr Snowdon said.

2006-10-13