Australian mining companies’ power to manipulate Aboriginals
I believe we are failing indigenous Australians,” he said.
“What is a multi-billionaire company doing negotiating directly with these people? We’re talking about people who are in general, poor and marginalised and often neglected by the state.
“They’re being offered these employment opportunities and income by a corporate giant and they are not in a position, in my view, to make a fully-informed decision.
Aborigines thrown to the mining wolves: expert, WA Today, Lucy Rickard, 18 April 11, The state government has abandoned Aboriginal people, leaving them to unfairly negotiate multi-million dollar deals with mining corporations and their armies of lawyers, according to an economics policy expert.
Australian National University Professor Jon Altman has dedicated his career to researching the native title rights for Australia’s indigenous community, focusing on their compensation negotiations with mining companies.
He said West Australian indigenous people were in dire need of professional advice and support in the form of an informed independent body, or even the state government, to assist them in negotiating with large corporations……..
“I believe we are failing indigenous Australians,” he said.
“What is a multi-billionaire company doing negotiating directly with these people? We’re talking about people who are in general, poor and marginalised and often neglected by the state.
“They’re being offered these employment opportunities and income by a corporate giant and they are not in a position, in my view, to make a fully-informed decision.
“They need expert advice and they should not be in positions of direct negotiations.”…..
He said different laws in each state meant WA’s indigenous people were left to negotiate their own deals, while in the Northern Territory and Queensland an intermediary body was involved.
“This would never happen in the Northern Territory,” he said.
“Why should Aboriginal people in the Pilbara have second-class negotiation rights compared to Aboriginal people across the board.”
Professor Altman said the video of Mr Forrest addressing the Yindjibarndi people was saddening.
“You saw an industrialist with a team of advisors facing some people, and it doesn’t look like they had much advice or representations, if any,” he said.
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