❓ Mr. Wyatt questions the Premier on federal funding for native title settlements, particularly the Noongar settlement, referencing previous commitments and the current federal government's reduced contribution. The Premier confirms the broken commitment and WA's commitment to proceed despite limited federal support.
AnsweredQoN 293Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIVE
TITLE SETTLEMENTS — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING
293. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I am again going to quote the
Premier. I refer to the Premier's criticism of the former federal Labor
government about the commonwealth government's agreement to not fund 75
per cent of all native title settlements, when he stated —
There is certainly a moral and
political obligation and, I would have thought, an obligation to Aboriginal
Australians. To simply walk away from it has disappointed me more than any
other act by a Prime Minister in my political life.
I also refer to the Premier's
answer when I asked him about this in May last year, when he stated —
I have drawn the issue to the
attention of Tony Abbott. I have written to him. I hope he will be more
sympathetic.
(1) Has the Prime Minister responded
to the Premier's letter?
(2) If yes to (1), has he agreed to
fund 75 per cent of all native title settlements?
(3) If no to (1),
has he agreed to make any contribution at all to native title settlements; and,
if so, what is that contribution?
TITLE SETTLEMENTS — FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FUNDING
293. Mr B.S. WYATT to the Premier:
I am again going to quote the
Premier. I refer to the Premier's criticism of the former federal Labor
government about the commonwealth government's agreement to not fund 75
per cent of all native title settlements, when he stated —
There is certainly a moral and
political obligation and, I would have thought, an obligation to Aboriginal
Australians. To simply walk away from it has disappointed me more than any
other act by a Prime Minister in my political life.
I also refer to the Premier's
answer when I asked him about this in May last year, when he stated —
I have drawn the issue to the
attention of Tony Abbott. I have written to him. I hope he will be more
sympathetic.
(1) Has the Prime Minister responded
to the Premier's letter?
(2) If yes to (1), has he agreed to
fund 75 per cent of all native title settlements?
(3) If no to (1),
has he agreed to make any contribution at all to native title settlements; and,
if so, what is that contribution?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) Yes,
I confirm all that the member said in that question. It was a very clear
commitment by the Keating government that 75 per cent of the cost of settling
native title would be met by the commonwealth. That was an understanding
through the passage of the Mabo legislation. John Howard, after little time,
confirmed that his government would do the same. Since then, successive Prime Ministers
in Rudd, Gillard and Tony Abbott have not kept to that. I think it is wrong. We
have written to Tony Abbott. The commonwealth government has indicated it would
make a very minor contribution—I think of the order of only about $10 million
and probably money that it would have paid —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is the Premier talking
about the Noongar settlement?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So not a general native
title agreement?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Sorry, I am talking about the Noongar settlement. My comments
were general; but with respect to the Noongar settlement, which is $1.2 billion
over 10 years, we again made that point to the Abbott government. It has not
agreed to fund it but it did agree to a small amount of funding—of the
order of $10 million. I do not have the details with me.
In the greater scheme of things, the
commonwealth has reneged on a commitment that was made at the time of the
passage of the Mabo legislation. I think that is not a fair outcome.
Nevertheless, we do things for the right reason and the Noongar settlement is
the right thing to do. I was very pleased—humbled in fact—that
the six groups within the Noongar nation, if you like, voted to agree to that.
I think that is a historic moment in Australian history because there will
never be a native title settlement covering such a large area or covering so
many people, or, I would suggest, covering such an amount of money and land and
other benefits. Regrettably, Western Australia, like in so many other things,
will have to go it alone in funding that settlement but we are committed to
doing so.
I confirm all that the member said in that question. It was a very clear
commitment by the Keating government that 75 per cent of the cost of settling
native title would be met by the commonwealth. That was an understanding
through the passage of the Mabo legislation. John Howard, after little time,
confirmed that his government would do the same. Since then, successive Prime Ministers
in Rudd, Gillard and Tony Abbott have not kept to that. I think it is wrong. We
have written to Tony Abbott. The commonwealth government has indicated it would
make a very minor contribution—I think of the order of only about $10 million
and probably money that it would have paid —
Mr B.S. Wyatt : Is the Premier talking
about the Noongar settlement?
Mr C.J. BARNETT : Yes.
Mr B.S. Wyatt : So not a general native
title agreement?
Mr
C.J. BARNETT : Sorry, I am talking about the Noongar settlement. My comments
were general; but with respect to the Noongar settlement, which is $1.2 billion
over 10 years, we again made that point to the Abbott government. It has not
agreed to fund it but it did agree to a small amount of funding—of the
order of $10 million. I do not have the details with me.
In the greater scheme of things, the
commonwealth has reneged on a commitment that was made at the time of the
passage of the Mabo legislation. I think that is not a fair outcome.
Nevertheless, we do things for the right reason and the Noongar settlement is
the right thing to do. I was very pleased—humbled in fact—that
the six groups within the Noongar nation, if you like, voted to agree to that.
I think that is a historic moment in Australian history because there will
never be a native title settlement covering such a large area or covering so
many people, or, I would suggest, covering such an amount of money and land and
other benefits. Regrettably, Western Australia, like in so many other things,
will have to go it alone in funding that settlement but we are committed to
doing so.
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