Media statement from CLP President Mr Shane Stone:
Following on from comments made by the NT’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Selena Uibo on ABC radio today, the Country Liberal Party can confirm it has formed a working group to critically analyse the $4.3 million Treaty Document and its recommendations produced by the Gunner, Fyles Labor Government, including the establishment of a First Nations Government which would be independent of Government, Party President Shane Stone said.
The CLP is concerned all Territorians have not been adequately informed about the recommendations within this 85-page report which costs $50,000 per page to produce and the Chief Minister recommitted to in an ABC radio interview last Friday.
On Sunday the Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, following the outcome of the Referendum said, “here in the Territory we will continue listening to our communities and doing what we can to build a better future for all people” when she knows the Treaty document has not been widely distributed and the broader community has not been consulted.
“We will continue with local decision-making” she went on to say whilst knowing the Labor government removed 80 community governments to develop the Super Shire concept in 2008 which was highly criticised in her own Treaty Document for demolishing local decision-making.
The establishment of an Independent First Nation Government with responsibilities for planning and environmental matters should be a matter for all Territorians to be consulted so they fully understand what the likely impacts will be.
Among the Treaty recommendations is also the establishment of a Treaty Making Fund to make up any shortfall in the proposed compensation package by the sale of surplus or underutilised Commonwealth and Northern Territory government assets referred to as Land Banking in the report which included land assets such as the freehold interest in Crown pastoral leases.
Dividing the Territory in this way is exactly what is concerning all Australians.
In 2016 the Labor NT government committed to conduct a conversation with Aboriginal Territorians about Treaty.
In March 2018 the four statutory Land Councils, and then Chief Minister Michael Gunner agreed to establish a Treaty Working Group to develop a memorandum of understanding which was signed at the Barunga Festival on June 8, 2018.
In March 2019 Prof Mick Dodson was initially named treaty Commissioner before stepping down in June 2021.
The final Treaty Report was tabled in Parliament in June 2022 and the Fyles Government released its response over the Christmas break on December 29, 2022, when the bulk of Territorians were on holidays.
