CALLS FOR TURNOUR TO CLARIFY WILD RIVERS POSITION

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Federal Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald has called on Leichhardt MP Jim Turnour to stand up for the people of Cape York and support Tony Abbott’s Private Members Bill which aims to overturn the damaging Wild Rivers legislation.

The call comes in the wake of a report by the Anglican Church which found the Wild Rivers laws stifle legitimate indigenous economic opportunities and deprives indigenous communities of any prospect of opportunity to engage in real economy on traditional lands.

“This view mirrors much of the evidence given to a Senate Committee enquiry into the Wild Rivers (Environmental Management) Bill,” Senator Macdonald said.

Senator Macdonald said that following the findings of the Anglican Church’s report the Member for Leichhardt, Jim Turnour, needs to accept the social and economic harm these laws create and start standing up for his constituents on the Cape.

“Jim Turnour, on both his websites and in the Parliament, talks of the need for bi-partisan action to ‘close the gap’. Following the release of this report it would be hypocritical of Mr Turnour not to lobby his Government colleagues to support Tony Abbott’s Private Members Bill in a bi-partisan way,” Senator Macdonald said.

“On the 24th of March Mr Turnour held a joint press conference with Peter Garrett while he was visiting Cairns. At this conference Mr Garrett said he would be taking no notice of the Coalition plan to protect traditional owners from losing their hard won property rights.

“Indigenous communities in Cape York deserve to know whether or not Jim Turnour stands by his Minister’s statements of a month ago or whether he is committed to creating opportunities for indigenous Australians as he says on his website.

“The report from the Anglican Church is a clear, non-partisan statement on the shortcomings of the Wild Rivers Legislation, it needs to be taken seriously by the Rudd Government and the people of Leichhardt need to know what Mr Turnour is going to do about it,” Senator Macdonald said.

END

28 April 2010

Media contact Gordon Terry      (07) 4771 3066   or   0427 960 255                                           

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