cosmo kramer
Banned
ABORIGINAL leaders have told Prime Minister Julia Gillard it is time to play catch-up after six years without an indigenous representative body. The co-chairs of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples met Ms Gillard for the first time today in Canberra.
Co-chair Les Malezer said it was about laying the groundwork for an ongoing relationship with the federal government.
The congress had its first meeting in July, six years after the Howard government axed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
The independent body has a different structure to its predecessor, with 300 individual members and links to 130 indigenous organisations, representing between 30,000 to 40,000 people.
The Gillard government will negotiate a formal agreement with the congress next year.
Congress co-chair Jody Broun said indigenous people had felt left out of the decision-making process for six years.
"We want to put that front and centre so communities are involved in decision," she said.
"(The time gap) has been damaging to the trust that had built up."
Mr Malezer warned that rebuilding trust with indigenous people would take time.
The six years without a formal indigenous representative group had led to bad laws and policy.
"I think it has been damaging," he said.
Both leaders were pleased Ms Gillard had thrown her support behind a referendum on constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians.
An indigenous expert panel is due to report in January after year-long consultations on the issue.
"All Australians have to see why this is important not just for Aboriginal people but Australia as a whole," Ms Broun said.
The government's continuation of Northern Territory intervention policies was not discussed during the meeting, but future talks were flagged.
Co-chair Les Malezer said it was about laying the groundwork for an ongoing relationship with the federal government.
The congress had its first meeting in July, six years after the Howard government axed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
The independent body has a different structure to its predecessor, with 300 individual members and links to 130 indigenous organisations, representing between 30,000 to 40,000 people.
The Gillard government will negotiate a formal agreement with the congress next year.
Congress co-chair Jody Broun said indigenous people had felt left out of the decision-making process for six years.
"We want to put that front and centre so communities are involved in decision," she said.
"(The time gap) has been damaging to the trust that had built up."
Mr Malezer warned that rebuilding trust with indigenous people would take time.
The six years without a formal indigenous representative group had led to bad laws and policy.
"I think it has been damaging," he said.
Both leaders were pleased Ms Gillard had thrown her support behind a referendum on constitutional recognition for indigenous Australians.
An indigenous expert panel is due to report in January after year-long consultations on the issue.
"All Australians have to see why this is important not just for Aboriginal people but Australia as a whole," Ms Broun said.
The government's continuation of Northern Territory intervention policies was not discussed during the meeting, but future talks were flagged.
