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> Media Statement from Mutitjulu -
26th June, 2007
Media Release issued by Women for Wik
26th November, 2007
Spillover of the Federal Political Landslide to NT Government
Provide Ground-Breaking Opportunity to Aboriginal Minister
The spillover of the Federal political landslide to the NT government
has provided a ground-breaking opportunity for NT Minister for Family
and Community Services and Child Protection, Marion Scrymgour, who has
become the first Indigenous woman to become Deputy Leader of a State or
Territory government.
This follows earlier political ground-breaking by Scrymgour, when she
became the first Aboriginal woman to hold a Ministerial position in a
State or Territory.
In an unanticipated turn of events, Clare Martin and her Deputy Sid Stirling,
stepped down from their posts of Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister
of the Northern Territory. The new Chief Minister is Paul Henderson, the
former Education Minister.
"Aboriginal people are estactic to see Marion Scrymgour as Deputy
Chief Minister. Marion has always listened to her constituents and she
has done her best for her people," said Ms Cummings. "We are
very proud that an Indigenous woman has become Deputy Leader of a State
or Territory government."
Ms Scrymgour has been very vocal in her criticisms of the NT intervention.
In late October, she used the 2007 Charles Perkins Oration at Sydney University
to blast both the motivation and its implementation, calling it a 'vicious
new McCarthyism'.
The then Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough called for Ms Scrymgour's
resignation, arguing that she was not prepared to help her own people.
She later retracted the strength of some of her words.
The support of Aboriginal people for Ms Scrymgour's view of the intervention
is indicated by the outcomes of the Federal election, which gave Labor
returns of up to 95% in polling booths in some remote Northern Territory
communities,including the community of Wadeye, regularly visited by Mal
Brough.
In an ironic turn of events Ms Scrymgour has become Deputy Chief Minister,
while the outgoing Indigenous Affairs Mal Brough has lost his seat.
"Marion stood up against the intervention," said Ms Cummings.
"Her father, who passed away recently, was a member of the Stolen
Generation. He would be really proud of her, as we are."
The news that Clare Martin has stepped down was met with some dismay.
"I am sorry to see Clare Martin go," said Eileen Cummings,
former Policy Advisor to the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.
"Clare was very supportive of Aboriginal people. She made a point
of funding family violence and sexual abuse programs, and she did the
best she could with the resources available to her."
"The intervention made things very difficult her. The Federal government
refused to take into account what the NT government was doing to address
those issues-even programs that had been funded by the Federal government."
"Clare Martin has stepped aside in an order to allow new people
to take advantage of a new situation", said Olga Havnen, CEO of the
Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the NT. "The social policy area
has been the greatest challenge faced by Clare Martin's government. Given
the legacy of neglect of past governments, she was presented with an extraordinary
challenge that the NT government could never hope to address on its own."
"What this country needs is well-informed evidence-based policy
making," said Ms Havnen. "We have to identify what we know works,
and be honest about the level of resourcing and investment that is needed
to make the necessary changes".
"While we have always welcomed the increase commitment of Federal
resources to the NT, we have been concerned that these resources were
not producing the results that communities need." Said Ms Havnen.
"Now we have an opportunity to realign those resources so that they
provide effective community outcomes. Effective outcomes do not include
the more than 700 pus new public servant positions that have been created
so far."
"Marion Scrymgour has enormous support from her constituency and
she is well placed to contribute to Territory leadership in this critical
period of transition," said Ms Havnen.
Ms Scrymgour was one of the first, and most prominent, endorsees of the
grassroots campaign 'Women for Wik-Monitoring the Federal Action in the
NT.'
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