Posted on 28 November 2014
Dear Prime
Minister,
The National
Congress of Australia’s First Peoples has noted that the Western Australian and
South Australian governments have threatened to shut down services to small and
remote townships of the Aboriginal Peoples. We bring this matter to your
government for urgent attention to Australian policy regarding the rights of
First Peoples.
The First
Peoples of Australia had, and will always have, inherent rights to exist on and
develop our lands and territories. These rights derive from the continuing and
ancient title to these lands and territories, and according to our collective
rights to self-determination as Peoples.
By
circumstances of Australia’s colonial and post-colonial history, and
particularly in the absence of a consent agreement for acquisition and
distribution of the wealth from our lands, territories and resources, our
Peoples hold as a very minimum the right to enjoy equal outcomes from social
and economic advancements benefiting all Australians. This must be clearly
understood and respected by all governments in Australia.
The WA
government apparently intends to target Aboriginal Peoples on the one hand,
whilst continuing to provide high standards of municipal services to
non-Indigenous citizens on the other. We cannot accept the WA and SA governments
have legitimate authority under Australian or international law to racially
discriminate to disrupt or destroy the livelihoods, accommodations or habitat
of the First Peoples of Australia.
Congress must
also take into account that other States may be contemplating reduction or
withdrawal of services to our Peoples in the same way as Western Australia and
South Australia.
Constitutionally,
the Australian Government has the highest authority in the nation in order to
promote and protect the rights of the First Peoples of Australia.
It is part of
the international responsibilities and it is a responsibility that should not
and cannot be discarded or devolved to other levels of government.
Congress
brings to your attention that your government essentially reaffirmed its
obligations to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples a few months
ago at the United Nations General Assembly, during the high-level plenary
session known as the World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.
The national
government holds ultimate responsibility to promote and respect equality and
non-discrimination in the nation and, in that context, also to ensure our
Peoples are correctly acknowledged as rights holders as Indigenous Peoples.
These
standards to which we refer are enshrined in the human rights treaties that
Australia has signed and ratified, along with the UN Declaration on the Rights
of Indigenous Peoples.
Congress
requests your government immediately affirm to the states and territories that
rights of the First Peoples are paramount in any fiscal arrangements to address
social and economic development.
We consider
it appropriate that this matter also be discussed at the next Council of
Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.
Congress also
requests an urgent meeting with you to further discuss this important matter.
Yours
sincerely,
Kirstie
Parker and Les Malezer,
Congress Co-Chairs
Congress Co-Chairs
No comments:
Post a Comment