Queensland Premier Anna Bligh denies the State Government’s move to strip Aboriginal councils of liquor licences is racially discriminatory.
Yesterday the Aurukun and Kowanyama councils went to the Supreme Court to challenge Liquor Licensing’s decision not to extend their licences until the end of the year.
The Western Australian Indigenous Affairs Minister, Kim Hames, has ruled out a Northern Territory-style intervention into remote Kimberley Aboriginal communities.
The former federal minister for Indigenous affairs, Mal Brough, says the WA Government must act urgently to prevent what he describes as "continuing atrocities" in Aboriginal communities.
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QUEENSLAND Police have asked for the Three Rivers Tavern at the troubled Cape York community of Aurukun to remain open, claiming that it helps them to monitor alcohol consumption in the community.
The state Government is pressing ahead with plans to force indigenous councils to stop running canteens, claiming alcohol is destroying communities and councils are too reliant on them for income.
Lawyers for the Aurukun Shire Council, which is fighting the Government in the Supreme Court in Cairns, yesterday tendered documents from Queensland Police to the Liquor Licensing Division, pleading for the canteen to remain open. In the documents, Sergeant Ross
Alexander told the Government that since Aurukun’s Three Rivers Tavern had been restricted to light beer, police had been called only once, and that was to deal with a person who was drunk on sly grog and had been creating a disturbance.
"The tavern is no longer a direct contributor to disturbances in the community," the document said. "It is this officer’s opinion that with the current alcohol restrictions in place, an extension of trading hours would in fact assist in the reduction of sly grog."
Police also believe the closure of the tavern will result in up to a quarter of residents leaving the community, as well as cause an increase in people driving to Coen and Weipa to purchase full-strength alcohol.
"Aurukun could have up to 300 persons leaving the community," Sergeant Alexander said. "A number of persons that presently drink at the tavern have stated that they will travel and return with alcohol. They further stated that they are aware that police cannot work 24 hours a day and (will) simply outwait the police to return."
Police also fear an increase in home-brewing and are concerned the canteen’s closure, which had been due tomorrow until an injunction was granted yesterday, could lead to rioting.
"Due to the volatile nature of the community members, it is a high possibility that civil unrest may occur," the document says. "This unrest may take many forms but members of the community have stated that they believe that they have the right to drink and are unhappy with the pending decision to remove the licence."
Despite the dire warnings from its own police, the Queensland Government still wants to close the canteens, a move critics have branded prohibition by stealth.
Douglas Campbell SC, for the Aurukun Shire Council, said the legislation forcing the closure of the canteens was in conflict with the Racial Discrimination Act and should be declared invalid.
"While the purpose may be legitimate, the effect is discriminatory," Mr Campbell said. "It curtails the right of indigenous people to participate in social drinking in a safe environment. It restricts their ability to take part in that very Australian custom of going to the pub."
In February, Premier Anna Bligh promised extra funding to make up for revenue shortfalls Aboriginal councils would encounter as a result of losing control of the canteens.
"This will break the link between alcohol profits and council income once and for all," Ms Bligh said at the time.
Judge Stanley Jones yesterday granted an injunction allowing canteens in Kowanyama and Aurukun to continue trading until he made a decision on the appeal next month. Aurukun mayor Neville Pootchemunka welcomed the decision and said the canteen would be open again on Monday.
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Minister for Health and Indigenous Affairs, Kim Hames, unveiled the ‘Live Well - Kimberley Active’ campaign in Broome yesterday.
Educators have welcomed the Federal Government’s promised $20 million boost to Indigenous education funding, but the head of an Aboriginal education group says the money is better spent elsewhere.
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Independent Kalgoorlie MP John Bowler has compared the handling of Aboriginal prisoners in the goldfields to the shunting of British prisoners to Australia in convict times.
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Warren Mundine has attacked Pat Dodson for advocating a "love-fest" mentality on Aboriginal reform and failing people on the ground.
Mr Dodson’s Australian Dialogue - launched yesterday with an aim to start a "national conversation" on the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians - was dismissed by Mr Mundine as soft.
Canteens in the far north Queensland communities of Aurukun and Kowanyama will continue operating in the short-term, despite State Government attempts to shut them down.
The Supreme Court in Cairns has been told the Queensland Government it could be breaching the Racial Discrimination Act.
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