Letter to the Editor

Aboriginal Minister Linda Burney said in Parliament “Under our constitution Australia and Torres Strait Island Australians have had no voice, no say in matters that affected our communities.”

Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister Linda Burney is so far out of her depth her feet will never touch the bottom

Really: “… have had no voice, no say in matters that affected our communities,” that Linda Burney is baloney — Koolymoot from Kurdaitcha.

There are 11 indigenous MP’s in Canberra, That equals 4.84 percent of the 227 parliamentarians for a group that is only 3.2 percent of the population — other Australians are 96.8%; on that basis they are over represented.

There were 3,273 registered Aboriginal Corporations, making representations to governments delivering health and other services.

National Indigenous Australian Agency (NIAA) has 1,317 employees costing close to 4.5 billion dollars this financial year. They are the commonwealth body responsible for policy development, implementation and service delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — They are their VOICE.

Over $34 billion a year goes to Indigenous people and communities; aboriginal organizations receive hundreds of millions of dollars from mining royalties every year. More than 230 million dollars in the NT alone. Taxpayer now provide of $39 billion dollars a year on Aboriginal needs, more than is spent on Medicare.

The above appear the irrefutable evidence Linda Burney has misled Parliament and the people of Australia — Aboriginals are over represented, over funded and over heard.

They DO have a BIG VOICE IN LAW AND IN GOVERNMENT — for Linda Burney NOT to know that is ignorance, she should be replaced.

The Indigenous Voice to Parliament activists appears a bunch of hypocrites; like all other people Aboriginals have achieved where they currently are in life purely based on their abilities.

Sincerely

Gil May

Forestdale 4118

Editor: There has been in place the Torres Strait Regional Authority for 20 years which comprises elected members from Island and mainland communities. This body has direct access to the Prime Minister’s department and any other politician it wants to summons. It has immediate access to the political and bureaucratic engine room at the snapping of fingers. The Voice will take away this group’s ability for direct negotiation. They haven’t woken up to this yet.