Fed: Federal Labor should declare native title position = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2000
Fed: Federal Labor should declare native title position = 2

Democrats native title spokesman John Woodley said the Queensland laws did not protect
Aborigines' rights.

"Indigenous people have told us that ... they are very clear, despite what the premier
is saying, that they have not been consulted and they do not accept the proposal," Senator
Woodley said.

"It is not a compromise as Mr Beattie has said, it really means that indigenous people
are giving everything and miners are taking the lot and that is not the way to do business
in Queensland or Australia."

Voting in favour of some of the legislation would allow Queensland Premier Peter Beattie
to downgrade native title rights across the state, Senator Woodley said.

"He'll do that by using the mining Act and we are very worried, as are the indigenous
people, that that is really the bottom line of what is going on," he said.

AAP eg/mfh/gmw

KEYWORD: TITLE DEMOCRATS 2 CANBERRA

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