Channel 9's Today programme, 5th June 1998:
Its all very well for leaders of major political parties to speak in the most vituferous language about Pauline Hanson. Its another thing to examine what she said in the Parliament last Tuesday afternoon, June 2nd.
It starts in Hansard on page 4209. Forests have been cut down to talk about her but there has been precious little debate about it. What concerns me is Hanson mentioned the United Nations Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Does it exist, why hasn’t it been debated? Is it to be signed as she says by the year 2004? Why haven’t we been told? Is it another treaty like the Multilateral Agreement on Investment? Why is the electorate kept in the dark?
She called the treaty a permanent fixture of division. Few would disagree. She called it a treacherous sell out of the Australian people. Few would disagree. She said that it was the initiative of internationalists with no loyal commitment to our country, few would disagree.
She said that Article 3 says the indigenous people must have the right to self-determination, she asked whether self-determination meant self-government. She asked did it mean dedicated Aboriginal seats in parliament as was recently suggested by state politicians in New South Wales.
She said that Article 27 spoke of the right to the restitution of land, territory and other resources and Article 30 required countries to get a free and informed consent from indigenous people before approving projects.
Does this thing exist? Why hasn’t it been debated? Is it to be signed? It is no good dealing with Pauline Hanson in the language of abuse. If she has alerted the country about yet another international treaty that we no nothing about then she has done the public a service.