Indigenous Giles stands by AbbottPosted in Articles, Media Archive, Oceania, Politics/Public Policy on 2012-11-15 21:33Z by Steven |
Indigenous Giles stands by Abbott
NT News
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
2012-11-15
Nigel Adlam
TERRITORY indigenous politician Adam Giles has refused to condemn Tony Abbott.
Mr Abbott said Alison Anderson was an “authentic representative” of ancient Central Australian culture but mixed-race MP Ken Wyatt was “not a man of culture”.
Mr Giles also refused to criticise the Coalition leader for not including him in a list of the NT’s Aboriginal Members of the Legislative Assembly…
But Mr Giles did warn that Aboriginality was a “sensitive subject”.
“Sometimes the smallest word can get the hairs on your back going,” he said.
Mr Abbott said he wanted to increase indigenous representation in the national parliament.
But he seemed to blunder into the “who’s an Aborigine?” minefield when he then made the comparison with Mr Wyatt – calling him an “urban Aboriginal”.
Mr Abbott’s office yesterday said he had not been implying Mr Wyatt was not indigenous…
Mr Giles said he wouldn’t get involved in the argument about “who is more authentic”.
“It’s abhorrent,” he said.
“All indigenous people know who they are.”
In a seeming reference to the difference between mixed-race people and full-blooded Aborigines, the Transport Minister said: “I know how many indigenous Australians have a hole in their heart in wanting for cultural enrichment…
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