Indigenous Rights

Abbott should move on: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Monday 30th January 2012, 2:48pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt says he will not support a censure motion on the Aboriginal tent embassy issue.


Mr Bandt says Tony Abbott should be focused on Aboriginal disadvantage not political point scoring.


"On this issue, Tony Abbott needs to pack up and move on" Mr Bandt said.


"I will not be supporting spending Parliament's time debating a politically opportunist censure motion. I hope my crossbench colleagues feel the same way."


"Parliament should be debating how we'll close the gap in indigenous life expectancy or why only 22% of Aboriginal Australians are completing Year 12, not some sideshow."


"This is a classic example of process and spin over substance. This is exactly why people hold many parliamentarians in low esteem."


"A staff member in the Prime minister's office has done the wrong thing and paid a price for it. It's time for Parliament and the country to now focus on the important issues."


 

The Territories Self Government Legislation Amendment Bill 2011

Speech | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Tuesday 15th November 2011, 1:34pm
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Tuesday, 1 November 2011



Mr BANDT (Melbourne) (17:01): The Greens will not be supporting these amendments. The amendments run completely contrary to the spirit of the bill. The bill gives recognition to the fact that in the ACT and in the Northern Territory we have mature debating chambers that are able to govern the people who have elected them. For this parliament to determine in advance what those chambers may or may not legislate about reflects the kind of paternalism that this bill is seeking to redress. This bill is seeking to restore the position that exists under the Constitution. There will still be a capacity in the unamended bill for this parliament to pass a law if it considers that any territory has done anything it should not have done. That position remains and the constitutional supremacy of this parliament remains. For those reasons, we will not be supporting the amendments.

Australian Greens National Conference Press Conference - November 6, 2011

Greencast | Spokesperson Bob Brown, Rachel Siewert, Scott Ludlam, Adam Bandt MP
Sunday 6th November 2011, 4:10pm
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Australian Greens Leader Bob Brown, Senator for Queensland Larissa Waters, Senators for Western Australia Rachel Siewert and Scott Ludlam, and Member for Melbourne Adam Bandt spoke to the media about the Australian Greens National Conference in Fremantle, WA.

Topics included the allocation of preferences, the environmental threats posed by developments in the Kimberley, and the Nationals' call for a "discussion paper" on coal seam gas. 

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Baillieu going backwards on indigenous acknowledgement: Bandt

Media Release | Spokesperson Adam Bandt MP
Thursday 19th May 2011, 3:29pm
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Greens MP Adam Bandt has condemned the Baillieu government's decision to scrap a requirement for Ministers and Departmental staff to acknowledge traditional owners.

This is a step backwards at a time when we are moving towards a national agreement on recognition of indigenous people in the Constitution, Mr Bandt said

"This is a backward step, that will be rejected by the community," Mr Bandt said.

Government sells out Traditional Owners and the Northern Territory while Coalition splits on nuclear waste dump vote

Media Release | Spokesperson Scott Ludlam, Adam Bandt MP
Tuesday 22nd February 2011, 6:34pm
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The Australian Greens today condemned the Government for passing a bill to force a radioactive waste dump onto the Northern Territory, despite the Opposition refusing to vote and Coalition MP Natasha Griggs crossing the floor to oppose the bill.

Greens MP Adam Bandt and Greens nuclear affairs spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam congratulated Ms Griggs for her courage in voting against the radioactive waste dump bill while the Coalition took the extremely unusual step of removing all but one member from the Chamber during the vote.

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