The Deputy Premier defends the Labor government's decision to appeal a native title ruling, asserting it doesn't signify a betrayal of the Nyoongah people, while accusing the opposition of past political exploitation of native title issues.

AnsweredQoN 699Legislative Assembly
Asked
27 September 2006
Portfolio
Deputy Premier

QuestionView source ↗

NATIVE TITLE - PERTH METROPOLITAN AREA
I ask a supplementary question: if that is the case and the Deputy Premier is right, why now more than 10 years since the Mabo decision is Labor turning its back on the Nyoongah people and lodging an appeal against Justice Wilcox’s decision? It cannot have it both ways. Mr E.S. RIPPER

AnswerView source ↗

Labor is not turning its back on the Nyoongah people. The Nyoongah people are the traditional owners of the south west of Western Australia. Everyone knows that. The question that the court has to look at is whether that traditional ownership is to be recognised by Australian law. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
Mr E.S. RIPPER replied: Labor is not turning its back on the Nyoongah people. The Nyoongah people are the traditional owners of the south west of Western Australia. Everyone knows that. The question that the court has to look at is whether that traditional ownership is to be recognised by Australian law. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
Labor is not turning its back on the Nyoongah people. The Nyoongah people are the traditional owners of the south west of Western Australia. Everyone knows that. The question that the court has to look at is whether that traditional ownership is to be recognised by Australian law. Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
Mr P.D. Omodei interjected. Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
Mr C.J. Barnett interjected. The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
The SPEAKER : I call the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Cottesloe to order. Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
Mr E.S. RIPPER : It is pretty hard to stand on this side of the house and hear members on the other side talk about a commitment to native title. We sat in this house day after day while Richard Court shamefully and divisibly used native title for his opportunistic political advantage. I hope that some people on the other side of the house were ashamed of what Richard Court did at the time. We will not have that approach. The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.
The SPEAKER : I call the member for Cottesloe to order for the third time.

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