Rainbow Coalition drunk on power delay Wild Rivers bill again
Labor and the Greens continue their abuse of power after the Opposition’s Wild Rivers bill was forced to its fifth Parliamentary committee, The Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs Senator Nigel Scullion said.
“This is a disgraceful abuse of democratic processes by the Gillard- Brown Government to again delay the Coalition’s Wild Rivers Bill, for the second time to a House of Representatives committee,” Senator Scullion said.
“This bill is aimed to give Cape York traditional owners back their right to consent before Wild Rivers are declared but their voice is being shut down in an appalling move by Labor and the Greens.
“The Rainbow Coalition is notorious for bastardising our democracy by guillotining debate on bills and continuously delaying them by referring then to committees.
“The capacity to develop and use land sustainably is a principle right of land owners across the globe. This legislation will restore that right in Queensland’s Cape York.
“It is sadly appropriate that on the fourth anniversary of the worst government since Whitlam they ‘celebrate’ by doing what they are famous for – denying our First People their democratic rights.
“The Labor Green Alliance has rammed 13 pieces of legislation through the Senate without a single word of debate, effectively denying any scrutiny or accountability on behalf of the Australian people.
“I am just glad that the Queensland Opposition led by Campbell Newman will listen to the people of Cape York by promising to scrap the Queensland Labor Government’s flawed Wild Rivers declarations and allowing traditional owners a greater say in the economic future of Cape York but still protect its iconic natural areas.
“Mr Newman’s policy does exactly what the Federal Coalition’s Wild Rivers bill was designed to do. Both protecting the environment but also allowing traditional owners a voice on possible project developments that will give their communities greater future economic prosperity.
“The conservative side of politics does not blatantly destroy democratic processes to further disadvantage Aboriginal people like the Rainbow Alliance has done on Wild Rivers,” Senator Scullion said.
