The Coalition government, with the help of the establishment media, has been focusing a great deal of attention on alleged "financial mismanagement" by ATSIC and other Aboriginal organisations.
Green Left Weekly several people whether they thought this was a racist campaign and, if so, why it is happening now.
Jim Everett, writer and member of the Palawa (Tasmanian Aboriginal community): The Coalition government's views on Aboriginal affairs are "not unexpected", according to Jim Everett. The reason? "They want to make cuts in their budget." He also believes that given the media's fairly negative portrayal of Aboriginal people and the publicity given to Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter's racist comments, the Coalition believes it is on "pretty safe" ground in making big cuts in Aboriginal affairs.
However, Everett said that he agrees with ATSIC and other Aboriginal people that the Coalition is on "a witch-hunt". "Other government departments ought to be investigated as much as ATSIC in terms of accountability of expenditure."
Everett believes that the Coalition is also out to undermine "Aboriginal people maintaining Aboriginality". That is, he believes that the Coalition wants to limit special services for Aborigines and force them to accept "mainstream services rather than be accommodated by services which are developed to be more culturally appropriate. It's a racist campaign."
But the Coalition's budget cuts are not limited to Aboriginal organisations, Everett points out. "Jocelyn Newman [minister for social security] is talking about all sorts of drastic changes to the CES and DSS services. So we are just one of those. At the same time, I think that the Coalition's real objective is to get rid of Aboriginal Affairs as a recognisable, discrete entity in the political system of Australia."
Ray Jackson, from the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee, Sydney: The Howard government has sees money going into Aboriginal organisations "as a waste of money". It wants to convince people "that there is no such thing as special needs in the Aboriginal community" and wants to "mainstream" Aboriginal needs. "So they'll mainstream Aboriginal medical services, Aboriginal education and Aboriginal legal services and then still cut back these services."
The government has a hidden agenda here. It wants to dismantle the Native Title Act and Mabo. "They'll use any excuse such as graft, corruption or waste and tar the whole community with the same brush to solve a major problem for them — land."
Christabel Chamarette, WA Greens senator: There was "no question" that there have been problems with ATSIC in delivery of its stated aims — social justice and land rights for Aboriginal people. She also said that there have been problems with ATSIC's accountability to Aboriginal people.
However, according to Chamarette the recent attacks on ATSIC by the Coalition and others are not aimed at addressing these issues.
When the Native Title Act was first presented to parliament, the amendments put forward by the WA Greens were aimed at trying to protect negotiating rights for Aboriginal people because the act, as proposed, was designed to protect every other interest except that of Aboriginal people, Chamarette said.
The arguments for a review of the Native Title Act to make it more workable raise the question "workable for whom?". The Coalition and the ALP have argued that the legislation needs virtually to guarantee unlimited land rights to the pastoralists and mining interests. Chamarette fears that there is a "genuine basis for failure" as ATSIC and other Aboriginal organisations attempt to respond to this "review".
In the context of the attacks on ATSIC and other Aboriginal organisations, there is a "danger that the Coalition and the ALP will move against them" on the issue of native title, Chamarette said.
"A consultation process needs to be conducted amongst Aboriginal people who have been critical of ATSIC as well as those who are supportive." The changes proposed by the government "need to be explained more clearly and opportunity given to explore other approaches. The outcome needs to be better directed funding to Aboriginal groups in relation to their needs rather than a way of reducing expenditure on Aboriginal Affairs."