Leading Aborigine calls Australian PM a racist
ADELAIDE, (Reuters) - A leading Australian Aboriginal
activist on Monday accused Prime Minister John Howard of rasicm, saying
Aborigines had reached the desperation point in their fight against Howard's
plans to limit native land title.
``Somebody who proposes racially discriminatory legislation
is, as a matter of logic, a racist,'' Noel Pearson, chairman of the Cape
York Land Council, told reporters.
Pearson, who last week described the Howard government as
``racist scum,'' signalled an intensified campaign against the government's
moves to limit native title.
``This really is desperation time,'' Pearson said after
addressing a resource industry conference. ``We are all in favour of
compromise but we cannot capitulate.''
Pearson said native title had not been won through war,
guerilla activity or protest, but through Australian law and was the
government's only opportunity to forge a civilised peace with the indigenous
community.
Native title was first recognised in law in 1994 after a
court ruled Australia was not an empty land (Terra Nullius) when white
settlers arrived in 1788.
But the country was plunged into a bitter debate over land
rights last year after a court ruled Aboriginal native title could co-exist
with farmers' leases, which Howard has said left about 80 percent of
Australia now open to native title claims.
Howard reacted strongly to Pearson's description of his
government as ``racist scum,'' saying the comments threatened free speech.
``That is the kind of sweeping, intemperate, intolerant
remark which demeans a very serious debate,'' Howard told the Australian
Broadcasting Corporation radio on Monday.
``Have we, surely, not reached a situation in this country
where, if you disagree with somebody, you have the smear of racism directed
at you?'' Howard said.
Howard's 10-point native title legislation, which has already
passed the lower house of parliament and goes before the upper house soon,
effectively wipes out native title on government land leased to farmers.
The legislation will make it harder to prove native title
exists, impose a six-year sunset clause for claims, water down Aboriginal
rights to negotiate and create exclusive ownership leases that will override
native title.
Howard argues this is necessary to ensure certainty of
investment in the multi-million dollar rural industry.
But Pearson told the resource conference the government's
legislation was disastrous for industry and would promote conflict and
chaos, sparking a stream of compensation claims which would cost the country
more than the land was worth.
He said Aborigines would prefer to deal directly with
business and avoid government.
``A lot of businesses are now wise to the fact that you
cannot jackboot a result (to native title claims),'' he said.
``While the politicians do the scaremongering....business
opportunities are falling by the wayside,'' he said, adding that Aborigines
often found it easier to negotiate with offshore companies who were the
least ideological in their approach.
Australia's Labor opposition and upper house independents
have opposed the native title legislation, prompting government ministers to
threaten an early election if it is not passed.
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