Statement by Prof Lowitja O'Donoghue in support of Indigenous Senate candidate Aden Ridgeway

4 October 2004

Indigenous representation in the 2004 Federal Election

Election campaigns offer a good insight into the state of our democracy. The areas that I deal in – Indigenous affairs and refugees - have been characterised by awkward occasional pronunciations that disappear almost as soon as they are uttered; or silence.

Yes, there have been the major parties' Indigenous Affairs policy launches but no leader was present at any of their parties' launches and the media attention was negligible.

As the two leaders barnstorm through the country throwing money at marginal seats and swinging voters, the plight of the most marginalised in our society is unheard. I've lost track of how many billions of dollars comprise the surplus these days, but it seems neither major party can find $400 million to address the Indigenous health emergency.

While I'm not in the habit of endorsing political parties I will discuss the work that Aden Ridgeway has done while he's been a Democrat Senator for NSW. I run into Aden a bit around the country, as I did previously when he was at the NSW Aboriginal Land Council and a part of the Indigenous native title negotiating teams.

The reality is - and the record shows – that every time some Howard Government minister sinks the boot into Indigenous Australians for not having a job, or having the wrong attitude, or not being healthy, wealthy or wise or trying to exercise a little self-determination, that if Aden Ridgeway doesn't say something in defence of Indigenous people, often no-one in the Federal parliament will.

As an Indigenous person, it takes a lot of courage to stick your neck out and stand up for what you believe in. The expectations are high; the stereotypes always waiting to catch you out. And the last 8 years of the Howard Government have been shocking for Indigenous people. The real low point was their abolition of ATSIC; the national elected peak Indigenous body, and its replacement with an appointed advisory body.

That idea seems to be catching on in the Federal Parliament where concerted efforts are being made to get rid of Aden through a Green-ALP preference deal. Aden is only the second Indigenous person to sit in the Federal Parliament – there was a sixteen year gap between him and the former Senator Neville Bonner and 71 years of an all-white parliament before that.

The main difference between having a committed white person and an Indigenous person in a representative position is something called self-determination. I know the ALP and the Greens know about it because it is in their policies. But the major parties need to brush up on the term as they have no Indigenous candidates in this election in winnable positions.

Australia and our political parties have come far, eg: we no longer debate the need for representation of women in parliament or young people in parliament. But it seems in this campaign, people are reinventing the Indigenous representation wheel.

Aden has not only distinguished himself in his advocacy work for Indigenous people on strictly blackfella issues, but also through his work in the Arts, Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Small Business portfolios.

He has been part of many Senate Inquiries including initiating inquiries into the Stolen Generations and on reconciliation; he has attempted to move amendments to the Copyright Act to offer greater protection for Indigenous artists; he has a private member's bill to give legislative force to the recommendations of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation; and has questioned the Government repeatedly on its performance in health, employment and education.

His work brings Indigenous Australians into the official record of the Parliament, Hansard and a place in the history of Australia; safe from the clutches of any yet-to be-born revisionist historian.

Recently, he led a strong campaign against the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement after deliberating over the content and the effects of the Agreement; and he fought for consumer rights during the insurance crisis.

I also know Aden as a refugee advocate, in good company with his Party's Leader, Andrew Bartlett. Aden's office has organised many forums around Sydney this year which link the human rights issues inherent in the Indigenous and refugee struggles. These forums are not only educational they have united people in a political period marked by divisiveness.

Aden, like all Democrat Senators, has lobbied the Minister on behalf of asylum seekers for visas and was instrumental in having the Jezan family granted humanitarian visas. His office has co-ordinated efforts for detained asylum seekers at Baxter and he was one of the first political representatives to sign the "A Just Australia" refugee guarantee.

And most of all he's a role model. God knows our young Indigenous kids need role models in all areas of public life to show them there is a future.

On October 9, I urge you to vote for continued Indigenous representation in our Federal Parliament with a vote for Aden Ridgeway.

Professor Lowitja O'Donoghue AC, CBE
4 October 2004

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