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Friday 5th July 1996
Friday 5th July 1996
Ms O'Donoghue said that a majority of Aborigines supported the mine.
"I think to have further meetings like we are having now is really only intimidating those people," she said.
Other senior Aboriginal leaders yesterday urged Mr Yanner to "cool it" as they say he is playing right into the hands of the State and Federal Governments who want to limit the effect of the Native Title Act.
In a farsical situation Yanner met Gulf Aborigines in Burketown to vote against the mine. But the meeting was marred by claims that it was unconstitutional and undemocratic. The meeting was then moved from the Burketown Town Hall after concerns were raised that the meeting was bugged.
The meeting was not attended by all 14 members of the United Gulf Region Aboriginal Council (UGRAC). Mr O'Shane said that the meeting was unconstitutional because proper notice had not been given and because Mr Yanner had no power to call it.
"Murrandoo talks of respecting the democratic purpose to take its course then he pulls this kind of stunt," Mr O'Shane said.
Both supporters and opponents of the mine claim that intimidation was used to stop people attending the meeting.
As a result, arguments by Queensland Police Minister Russell Cooper that primary producers should be able to use semi-automatic guns to cull large feral animals were not approved.
Another meeting (with the traditional long lunches, I guess) will take place in three weeks in Canberra.
"I think if Australia is really going to grow we really need to have a very active immigration programme in the future," he said.
"If you've got more people here and more people working creating more demand for goods and services, producing more product for export, we might be doing an even better job and getting back to surplus quicker", he said.
Interesting then that Kennett is Liberal and that the Labor New South Wales Premier, Bob Carr, supports the move to cut immigration, saying that the large influx of people into Sydney is causing chaos!
Stoltenberg, eager to continue in the hope of finishing off Ivanisevic, was forced to trudge off the court after his opponent summonsed officials to the umpires chair to secure a suspension.
Stoltenberg went on to win 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6.
Many of the young people came from extremely violent backgrounds and situations involving drugs, alcohol and sexual abuse Teen Challenge housing co-ordinator Tony Proud said.
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