Aborigines: "We do not need a special envoy, we need our leaders to listen"

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Jackie Huggins, co-chair of the ineffective National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, recalled that “one of his accomplishments has been to rob our people of a right to self-determination. And NOT listening to us."

Luke Pearson continued: 'It is patronising because we do not need a ‘special envoy’ when we have so many capable and talented Indigenous people in Australia more than able to speak for ourselves.

“We do not need a non-Indigenous individual to act as a ‘conduit’ between us and government, or to give advice on our behalf. Especially not when that individual already did so much damage to the Indigenous Affairs portfolio when he was in power. The only solace we can take is that he has much less power in this new
role.

'In case you forgot, Tony Abbott was responsible for disbanding a wide array of Indigenous advisory groups which he replaced with his handpicked ‘PM’ advisory group.
“He took over half a billion dollars out of the Indigenous Affairs budget with no real planning or reflection.”

Together with her co-chair of the Congress, Rod Little, Huggins put out a statement saying, “We, as Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples, have cried enough over you and other politicians responsible for devastating policies and minimising our representation.”

Huggins addresses the new prime minister, Scott Morrison: '“We are demanding that you abandon the cynical thought of appointing Tony Abbott as a Special Envoy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs for the sole purpose of attempting to quell the factional divides in your party.

“Let’s reflect on Mr Abbott’s history of supporting harmful, paternalistic policies relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs.“This is the man who systematically dismantled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations through the Indigenous Advancement Strategy; tried to mainstream service provision; cut over $500 million from our services; attempted to silence the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples by removing its funding; and handpicked his mates for the Indigenous Advisory Council.

“Mr Abbott’s sole accomplishment was robbing our peoples of our right to self-determination,” Huggins concluded.

Linda Burney writes: “First Nations Australians asked for a Voice to Parliament, and we get TA. TA cut half a billion dollars from Indigenous Affairs when he was Prime Minister. He opposes a voice to Parliament. He doesn’t believe in empowering First Nations people.

“This isn't about Prime Minister Morrison advancing Indigenous affairs. This is about placating TA from destablising the Liberal party.'

Dodson refers to “the next chapter of divisive chaos in the Liberal party. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has attempted to buy off wrecker Tony Abbott with a special but undefined role as an ‘Indigenous affairs envoy’.

'Labor is seriously concerned about appointing the ex-self-appointed ‘Prime Minister for Indigenous affairs’ to the role of ‘envoy,’ given his ignorant, hopeless and frankly offensive track record on Indigenous issues.

'As Prime Minister, he cut over $500 million from Indigenous programs in the 2014 federal budget.

'And who can forget his profoundly offensive comments in 2015, claiming that people living in remote communities without adequate services were making a “lifestyle choice” while defending his government’s decision to close up to 150 remote
communities.

'Then, there was last year when ex-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rejected the Uluru Statement, and Tony Abbott backed him saying: “In my judgment, the government has made the correct decision not to proceed with the establishment of a separate, constitutionally entrenched body to represent indigenous people.”