Fed: ATSIC chief pushes on with treaty proposal

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2000
Fed: ATSIC chief pushes on with treaty proposal

By Linda McSweeny

CANBERRA, Aug 9 AAP - ATSIC chief Geoff Clark has returned from worldwide meetings
with indigenous and human rights leaders determined to put a treaty on the federal government's
agenda.

Indigenous people would no longer need to attract international attention to their
plight if the government agreed to a bill of rights and treaty, he said today.

Mr Clark, who chairs the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, recently
returned from Canada and Geneva, where he addressed indigenous leaders and the United
Nations Human Rights Committee.

Australia was lagging behind Canada, the United States and New Zealand in its failure
to implement a bill of rights, he said.

"If there was a bill of rights and our rights were set out specifically, I believe
that it would be unnecessary for us to seek international attention," he told ABC radio
today, on International Day of the World's Indigenous People.

"There would be a process and a domestic remedy readily available and a protection
that would give us the level of comfort for us to enjoy our rights."

Mr Clark called for a treaty in May this year during a meeting with Prime Minister
John Howard before the people's walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge for Corroboree 2000.

"Whatever is written in a bill of rights can then be formally agreed to in a treaty," he said.

"We know that small steps are required in this process. It is not too much to ask that
the prime minister take a few more small steps, like a bill of rights, like constitutional
recognition, like a treaty."

Mr Howard and his deputy, John Anderson, have rejected a treaty, saying it is divisive.

Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation chairwoman Evelyn Scott was in Canberra today
but was unavailable for comment on the issue.

The council has in the past called for a legislative framework to address reconciliation issues.

Mr Clark received some support today from Aboriginal performer Jimmy Little, who suggested
his measures would eventually be put in place.

"I do believe in the long term it's something that will eventually happen, but in due
course," Mr Little told reporters outside an indigenous education conference at Parliament
House.

"But for the moment just working together as a nation of indigenous and non-indigenous
people, we will come up with the answer for sure that will give us a bright new future."

Mr Clark also said he was confident of support at next week's ATSIC board meeting,
which was likely to discuss his future as chairman.

There have been suggestions that Mr Clark, who is facing sex charges, should stand
down until the court matter is resolved.

"There will be a board meeting and we will deal with that accordingly," he said.

"I have no doubt I have support among the indigenous people of this country, otherwise
they would not have elected me to this position."

AAP lm/mfh/apm/de

KEYWORD: ATSIC CLARK NIGHTLEAD

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.