Traditional Owners call on Labor, Greens and Xenophon Senators to hold fast against Govt push on native title vote

The Government and the mining lobby are working furiously to overturn the resolve of Labor, the Greens and the Xenophon party, and to bring on a vote this afternoon in the Senate, despite losing a motion to suspend standing orders.

Senior spokesperson for the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J) Traditional Owners Council, Burragubba, said “The bill has rightly stalled because the Government are making this all about Adani’s mine.

“Just when the debate was finally entering a sensible phase, in which the native title rights of Traditional Owners are viewed as paramount, we have Government Senators making it all about Adani and trying to engineer a last minute vote. The Liberal Chair of the Senate Committee, Senator McDonald, even mistakenly referred to it in debate today as the “Adani Bill”.

“This is an insult. Adani has acted relentlessly against us, and the Government is trying to brush the fact that they are tied up in numerous legal actions by us under the carpet.

“We need our day in Court and Traditional Owners around the country need to know Native Title Act changes are not being driven by Adani and the mining sector and their backers in the Government.

“We have urged the Opposition and crossbench not to help the Government with this abuse of process. The native title issues can be sensibly taken care of in the next sitting of Parliament. We know there is no urgency today except for Adani’s interests”, he said.

For more information and to arrange interviews:

Anthony Esposito, W&J Council advisor – 0418 152 743.