WA Aboriginal battle
Date: Thursday, August 21 @ 04:20:35 CDT
Topic: Australian politics


John Gowland from SP in Perth reports on the WA Labor Government's attack on an inner-city Aboriginal community

WA ALP Government destroy inner city Aboriginal community

On June 9-10, the Western Australian ALP Premier Geoff Gallop rammed through a draconian law evicting the Swan Valley Nyungah Community (SVNC) from their traditional land.
The Reserves (Reserve 43131) Bill 2003 allows an administrator to prevent anyone from entering the area, and can eject anyone from it.
This law denies Natural Justice and procedural fairness. There is no right of reply and no right of appeal. It is the single most draconian law passed by a WA parliament and it was forced through by the Labor Party! Prior to the SNVC establishing their community in Perth these Nyungah people lived under bridges and in dilapidated housing of the worst kind.
Over 27 years the SNVC built a safe and secure home for themselves. After their eviction the community are now living in caravans with no water, electricity or sanitation.
Children are now becoming ill due to lack of heating and basic amenities and the Gallop Government are doing nothing to help. They have removed these people on the basis of widespread rumours in the media over years that there is abuse of women and children. There was no investigation to see if this was true. Sharon and Margaret, pictured here, have known the community for 27 years and worked at the SVNC. Margaret has worked there every day of the week and weekends and Sharon two days a week.
Neil Grey, of the Socialist Party and other party members, have visited the SVNC on many occasions over the years. Never have any of these supporters of the SVNC seen any violence or abuse against women or children. Over the 27 year period there have been four incidents. The suicide of a young woman has been played over in the media so many times the people of WA think there are suicides occurring all the time. This is the role of the media in WA!
If any community in Australia could quote only four incidences of abuse over a 27-year period they would be proud. But because this is an Aboriginal community they close it down! Because of the constant attacks of the media and negative criticisms of the ALP there is wide spread racism in WA against the Aboriginal community. Constant appeals to unions WA for support and solidarity were ignored.
This is a condemnation of unions in WA. They should have, as requested, carried out their own investigation. They would have found, as many supporters of the community have found, that the alligations are racist lies. At rally after rally prior to the eviction, the women of the camp spoke out that they and their children were not being abused by anyone.
The only people abusing the SVNC were the Gallop Government. History will show that this was yet another racist attack in line with the mass murder, stolen generation, deaths in custody, and the relentless attacks upon the original people of this land.
The Socialist Party along with more progressive unions will not let the Gallop Government forget what they have done to these people. The SVNC should have the right to return to their homes. If there are doubts about the safety of the women and children let there be an inquiry in to these alleged abuses.
Our legal system is supposedly based on the premise that an accused is innocent until proven guilty. But the Gallop Government have decided that for Aboriginals they are guilty before being proven so. Robert Bropho, Elder spokesperson for the Swan Valley Nyungah, told the The Socialist: "We have begun legal action in the Federal Court through Greg McIntyre and Dwyer Durack because our basic human rights have been taken away. We need to challenge this Law that denies natural justice and the right for judicial review.
This Law flies in the face of the Australian 'Fair Go'. All up we need $20,000 for the Federal Court Case to challenge Gallop's draconian legislation. We have already raised $10,000. We desperately need to raise another $10,000 for this challenge." All donations for the Federal Court Case can be mailed to:
SVNC TRUST ACCOUNT
C/- Dwyer Durack Lawyers
10th Flr,
40 St. Georges Terrace
Perth
WA
The Swan Valley Nyungah Community
C/- PO Guildford WA





This article comes from Socialist Party Australia
https://socialistpartyaustralia.org

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