Sunday Times, Perth
by Joe Poprzeonzy
A former Chief Justice of the Australian High Court has urged that any claims by activists for the creation of a separate Aboriginal nation or independent black states be rejected.
Sir Harry Gibbs said Arnhein Land, parts of central Australia,, north west WA, islands in the Torres Strait or off northern Australia would be targeted for Aboriginal independence.
In a keynote address yesterday at a Perth meeting of the influential conservative group, the Samuel Griffith Society, he said separate laws were emerging in Australia to cover black and white Australians.
“There is no doubt that any claims by the Aborigional peoples to determine their own political status, and to assert a right to sovereignty or independence, must be rejected as contrary to the interests of Australia as a whole,” Sir Harry said.
“Just as any attempt to put the Aboriginal peoples outside the Australian nation must be firmly opposed, so should any attempt to grant statehood, or any degree of autonomy to any particular group or Aboriginal people.
“It would obviously be impracticable... to grant sovereign or dominant power to the Aboriginal people in areas such as country towns in which persons entirely of European descent were as numerous as the descendants of the Aboriginal people, many of whom would themselves have had European ancestors.
“Experience elsewhere has shown that associations of States, Federal or otherwise, do not endure when one state is composed of persons distinctly different in race, religion or culture from those of another.
“The future existence of Australia would be put at risk if statehood or any form of autonomy were granted to small communities chosen on the grounds of race in areas of great strategic importance to this country.”
Sir Harry who was Chief Justice of Australia between 1981 and 1987 said some people were arguing that there was a right of self-determination within countries. He said groups were working within the UN for the development of such doctrines.