ELECTION 2001: SUMMARY OF THE INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS RECORD AND POLICY PRIORITIES OF THE MAJOR PARTIES*
	
ISSUE	RECORD / POLICY OF MAJOR PARTIES	
	LIBERAL/NATIONAL	LABOR	DEMOCRATS	GREENS	
RECONCILIATION
-Stated commitment to Reconciliation
-Formal Govt. response to Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) Final Recommendations, Dec 2000
-Commitment to CAR Final Recommendations:
(a) Declaration Towards Reconciliation

(b) Roadmap for Reconciliation (Sustaining the reconciliation process strategy; Recognising A & TSI rights strategy; Overcoming Disadvantage strategy; Economic independence strategy).
(c) Commitments sought from The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) (Rec. 1)
(d) Referendum for constitutional change to recognise A & TSI peoples in the Preamble; and removal of s25 (Rec. 3)
(e) Measures for continuing and sustaining the Reconciliation process (Rec. 4)
(f) An agreement or treaty process to deal with unfinished business (Recs 5 & 6)
(g) Enact framework legislation to give effect to strategies, including for a Treaty process
-Government funding for post-CAR Reconciliation process

-yes
-no

-PM Howard opposed reference to an apology and to ‘self-determination’
-Supports ‘practical’ measures, but not symbolic or rights-based measures

-yes

-no

-general support

-no

-no

-Significantly reduced overall; Seed funding provided for Reconciliation Australia (body replacing CAR)	
-yes
-n/a

-yes

-yes, broadly

-yes

?

-yes

-Support contingent on ATSIC Indigenous consultative process
-as above

-n/a

-yes
-n/a

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-n/a
	
-yes
-n/a

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-yes

-n/a
	
TREATY
-Support for an agreements or treaty process (CAR Recs 5 & 6)

-Support for national debate about an agreements or treaty process
-Will support outcome of a future Indigenous plebiscite on the issue of a treaty
	
-no

-no
?	
-Support contingent on ATSIC Indigenous consultative process
-yes
-yes	
-yes

-yes
-yes
	
-yes

-yes
-yes	
NATIVE TITLE
-Supported discriminatory 1998 Native Title Act Amendments (10-Point Plan)
-Support review of amended NTA to remove discriminatory elements
-Policy of negotiating Native Title legislation with Indigenous stakeholders on the basis of ‘informed consent’
-Support for Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs)
-Ensure ‘right to negotiate’ provisions equivalent to original 1992 Native Title Act
-Ensure adequate resources for Indigenous Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) to prevent ‘back door’ extinguishment of native title.
	
-yes
-no
-no

-yes
-no

-Govt’s 1998 Amendments increased burden on NTRB resources, but no plans to increase NTRB funding to adequate levels.	
-no
-yes
-yes

-yes
-yes

-yes

-no
-yes
-yes

-yes
-yes

-yes

-no
-yes
-yes

-yes
-yes

-yes

ISSUE	LIBERAL/NATIONAL	LABOR	DEMOCRATS	GREENS	
STOLEN GENERATIONS
-General response to the Bringing Them Home Report
-Formal apology on behalf of the nation
-Family reunion and counselling 
-Reparations Tribunal

-Test cases for compensation by members of the stolen generations (Gunner-Cubillo; Williams)
-Senate Committee Inquiry in 2000 into effectiveness of Govt response to the Bringing Them Home Report

-Qualified support (see below)
-no
-yes
-no

-Govt spent $12m opposing the cases

-Govt submission questions numbers of children affected and validity of the term ‘stolen generations’	
-Broad support
-yes
-yes
-Possibly. Propose a national conference to determine response.
-Govt should have provided alternative mechanism (see above)
-

-Broad support
-yes
-yes
-yes

-Support tribunal (see above)
-

-Broad support
-yes
-yes
-yes

-Support tribunal (see above)
-

INDIGENOUS DISADVANTAGE
-Recognition of connection between disadvantage and rights issues

-Spending required to address Indigenous disadvantage

-Support for Indigenous self-determination
-Recognise the Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) as peak Indigenous advisory body
-Commonwealth Grants Commission’s 2001 report criticises levels of Indigenous access to mainstream services and recommends increased Indigenous control over funding
	
-Supports ‘practical’ measures, but not symbolic or rights-based measures
-Cut Indigenous affairs funding by $400 million in 1996
-no
-Govt scaled back funding levels and role of ATSIC; bypassed ATSIC’s advisory role.
-Govt criticised draft report and delayed release of the final report until forced by a Freedom of Information (FOI) application	
-yes

-Increase required

-yes
-yes

-Supports Commission’s findings

-yes

-Increase required

-yes
-yes

-Supports Commission’s findings
	
-yes

-Increase required

-yes
-yes

-Supports Commission’s findings
	
HERITAGE PROTECTION
-Access to Commonwealth Act as a ‘last resort’ option in all cases
-Include strong minimum standards for state/territory regimes (as recommended by Evatt Report)
-Provision for Indigenous involvement in decision-making at all levels
-Provision for an independent Indigenous-controlled heritage body at the Commonwealth level
	
-no
-no

-no
-no

-yes
-yes

-yes
-maybe

-yes
-yes

-yes
-yes
	
-yes
-yes

-yes
-yes
	
MANDATORY SENTENCING
-Oppose all mandatory sentencing policies
-Oppose mandatory sentencing of juveniles
-Support Commonwealth legislation to override state/territory mandatory sentencing laws
	
-no
?
-no

no
yes
yes, in relation to juveniles

yes
yes
yes

yes
yes
yes

* Complied by Australians for Native Title & Reconciliation (ANTaR) based on available information from public sources and provided to assist ANTaR members and supporters in considering Indigenous affairs issues during the 2001 Federal Election.