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Indigenous Law Bulletin --- "Recent Happenings" [1997] IndigLawB 73; (1997) 4(4) Indigenous Law Bulletin 15

Recent Happenings

1 May

National Party MPs criticised the Federal Government's proposed legislative response to the High Court's Wik decision, the 10 Point Plan, calling for outright extinguishment of native title on all pastoral leases.

7 May

In an action which completed negotiations over the proposed Century Zinc mine in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Queensland Government endorsed a $30 million compensation package for 12 native title claimants. The $1.1 billion project will see the development of the world's largest zinc mine. Total compensation for native title claimants is expected to reach $90 million.

7 May

It was revealed in the Senate that at least 30 Federal MPs, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tim Fisher, stand to benefit financially from aspects of the Government's 10 Point Plan allowing for the upgrade of pastoral leases to freehold title.

8 May

The 'Amended Wik 10 Point Plan' was released by the Federal Government. The plan appears to significantly enhance the rights of pastoral-lease-holders; at the expense of native title holders. The Prime Minister, Mr John Howard; defended the plan arguing that 'the [High Court] Wik decision pushed the pendulum too far in the Aboriginal direction'.

12 May

NSW magistrate Pat O'Shane announced her retirement from the bench, effective July 1997. Ms O'Shanewas the first Aboriginal law graduate to become a barrister.

16 May

ATSIC expressed its disappointment over proposed Federal budget cuts to ABSTUDY. ATSIC research shows that education improves the employment opportunities of indigenous people, reducing indigenous unemployment and poverty in the long run.

17 May

Farmers meeting with the Prime Minister at. Longreach, Queensland, spoke about their opposition to the .10 Point Plan; saying they would prefer unequivocal provisions effecting blanket extinguishment of native title on pastoral leases.

18 May

Aboriginal magistrate Pat O'Shane said that Paul Streeton s sentence to life imprisonment without parole for the attempted murder of Tjandamurra O'Shane, through setting him on fire, was too harsh. Pat O'Shane is Tjandamurra's aunt.

22 May

The Commonwealth Attorney-General, Mr Daryl Williams, ruled out any payment of compensation to members of the Stolen Generations, on the grounds that it would be 'inappropriate and divisive'. He also labelled the leaked finding by HREOC's National Inquiry Into the Separation of Aboriginal and Tones Strait Islander Children from their Families, that past government practices relating to the Stolen Generations constituted genocide, as 'flawed and wrong'.

22 May

Mr Adam Graycar, director of the Institute of Criminology, Canberra, revealed that a study by the Institute had found that the number of indigenous people in gaol in 1997 outstripped the forecast national indigenous gaol population for the year 2001. He commented that most sentences were imposed for 'lifestyle offences'.

22 May

The trial of three Aboriginal boys accused of spitting on Independent Federal MP Ms Pauline Hanson in late 1996 was abandoned through lack of evidence.

26 May

Participants at the Aboriginal Reconciliation Convention in Melbourne booed at, and turned their backs on the Prime Minister as he gave the opening address. He expressed deep personal sorrow over the Stolen Generations of indigenous people, but did not apologise on behalf of the nation. He also angrily defended the 10 Point Plan.

26 May

Bringing Them Home, the report by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's National Inquiry Into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families, was tabled in Federal Parliament by the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator John Hereon. The report contains 54 recommendations in relation to the Stolen Generations.

29 May

The Northern Land Council lodged claims over 35 areas in the Northern Territory under the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act 1976 (Cth). The claims were lodged against the imminent operation of the legislation's sunset clause for new land claims on 5 June 1997.