Greens Leader and Aboriginal Affairs spokesperson, Kim Booth MP today condemned Premier Will Hodgman’s statement ruling out forming a treaty with the Tasmanian Aboriginal community.
“This must be terribly disappointing for the Aboriginal communities who represent the true owners of this land,” said Mr Booth.
“They represent the communities who have had the longest association, with over 40,000 years of history as a continuous culture and are now being told by a white Premier that he has no interest in a treaty.”
“Discussions around treaty need to be entered into with an open mind and an open heart, but Premier Hodgman it would seem is just like the rest of them; happy to live off the fat of the land and provide only token gestures of land returns.”
“Just like his state counterpart, Prime Minister Abbott too is out of touch with the Aboriginal community and it is for that reason that, sadly, a second Day of Action was held today to rally against the closure of the remote communities in Western Australia.”
“Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre State Secretary, Trudy Maluga, has called on the Prime Minister to show leadership and invest in the communities he is trying to shut down by funding the people to create their own economic developments.”
“I echo that sentiment by calling on Premier Hodgman to show some leadership and step up to the plate by being the first Premier in Australia to form a treaty with the Aboriginal community,” Mr Booth said.
