Thursday 26th December 1996
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Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action Manager Les Malezer said indigenous Australians would be forced to "agitate a lot more strongly to protect our rights".
Howard is supported by three state premiers at present: Rob Borbidge from Queensland, Richard Court from Western Australia and Jeff Kennett from Victoria who have all suggested that the Federal Governnment should consider amending laws to extinguish Native Title on pastoral leases.
When you consider that 40% of Australia falls under this category of land ownership you can see the dilemma now being faced by the Australian nation.
Howard said, "The decision (by the High Court) appears to have overturned one of the fundamental principles on which the community's understanding of native title had proceeded.
"I don't think anybody greets with any enthusiasm the possibility of endless years of protracted and complicated legislation."
Bob Katter the National Member for Kennedy, the area affected by the High Court decision said, "Graziers are faced with a situation of insecurity, meaning it will be extremely difficult to raise funds from financial institutions.
"The first Australians have been given virtually nothing but hunting and gathering rights - a glorified kangaroo license."
National Party Senator Bill O'Chee said, It may well be that every time a grazier puts up a fence, digs a hole on his own land, he may have to pay compensation to somebody else for the right to do so.
"Now that the tribunal has been proved so utterly wrong, they should pay the price for their incompetence - heads must roll. Ultimately, Justice French (National Native Title Tribunal President) must go as well - he is running this hillbilly tribunal."
In a sad reflection of family breakdown the mothers of the two boys arrested for spitting and hitting Federal MP Pauline Hanson said that they had other family commitments and turned down the opportunity to see their children on Christmas day.
Top of the academic ladder is past MP Barry Jones who has four degrees.
More than 40 of the current MPs have a law degree and 60 others arts degrees.
Current Coalition lawyers include Prime Minister John Howard, Treasurer Peter Costello, Education Minister Amanda Vanstone, Environment Minister Robert Hill, Social Security Minister Jocelyn Newman, Industrial Relations Minister Peter Reith, Communications Minister Richard Alston, Defence Industry Minister Bronwyn Bishop, Finance Minister John Fahey, Science Minister Peter McGauran and Sports Minister Warwick Smith.
Both native title lawyers and mining industry groups yesterday warned that the court's ruling on Monday would significantly slow the pace of resource development in Queensland.
Mining leases granted since Native Title came into force on 1st January 1994 are also believed to be in question because they were granted on the assumption that pastoral leases extinguished native title. One of the greatest dangers now is that banks will be unhappy lending money to the mining industry because of the prevailing uncertainty related to land ownership.
Queensland Mining Council chief executive Michael Pinnock said, "The worry we've got is that the legislation is not coping with the claims and what it's going to do when there's twice as many."
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