UN, Are you listening with your eyes??

Libs welcome furore over traditional land

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott's assertion that Aboriginal welcomes to country are tokenistic has fractured Parliament and angered indigenous people.


Abbott avoids Tuckey swipe

Tony Abbott has distanced himself from Wilson Tuckey after the outspoken WA Liberal MP took a swipe at the "farce" of recognising traditional indigenous owners in official events and lamented the 1967 referendum that gave Aboriginal Australians the vote.
The 74-year-old said he was "very, very, very opposed" to recognising traditional owners of the land in Government ceremonies.
"I think it makes a farce of it," Mr Tuckey said.
"I refuse. I never have thanked anyone for the right to be on the soil that is Australia."
He also let fly at "grossly overweight" Aboriginal dancers who perform at welcome to country ceremonies and questioned the success of Aboriginal culture before white settlement given the Aboriginal population was historically about 300,000.
He said the 1967 referendum was the "worst thing that's happened for Aboriginal people in history".
Mr Tuckey made the comments following the Opposition Leader's comments that acknowledging indigenous owners of the land at Government events smacked of tokenistic political correctness.
But after Mr Tuckey's comments, Mr Abbott sought to clarify his own views. "There's a place for it on occasions," he said.
Nyoongar elder Robert Isaacs, a self-confessed Liberal supporter, said Mr Tuckey's comments were disgusting. The former Aboriginal Lands Trust chairman said the comments were a slur against the Aboriginal people.

Tuckey told to apologise for Aboriginal remarks
Updated Tue Mar 16, 2010 2:19am AEDT

Wilson Tuckey says things have become worse for Indigenous people since 1967.
The Greens say Federal Liberal backbencher Wilson Tuckey should be kicked out of his party if he does not apologise for comments he made about Aboriginal people.
Tuckey 'overweight' comments 'offensive'
An Indigenous politician in the Northern Territory says the Federal Liberal backbencher Wilson Tuckey needs to learn more about Aboriginal culture.
Wilson Tuckey says acknowledging traditional owners at official functions is a farce.
He also criticised some people who perform 'Welcome to Country' ceremonies for being "grossly overweight".
The Territory's Member for Arnhem Malarndirri McCarthy says the comments are offensive.
"I think it is highly inappropriate certainly for a political leader at his level to focus on the weight, gender or colour of a person who is performing."

ED's Note
To have an understanding to where Indigenous people are going to be is on the return trip to Indonesia on the illegal ships bringing illegal immigrants at a discount price. Maybe then the UN will start sanctions.