By FIA Cumming
Two Aboriginal leaders have been indicted by an Auditor General’s report, which has found serious financial irregularities in one of the biggest land councils.
The report found that a former Australian of the year, Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social justice commissioner, Mr Mick Dodson, personally benefited from a breach of rules.
Mr Yunupingu is chairman of the Northern Land Council while Mr Dodson was its director until mid-1993.
The report said the council had paid Mr Yunupingu’s personal credit card bills and he had not repaid advances of up to Au$23,000.
Mr Dodson had authorised a fringe benefit package to himself and other senior staff, against service rules, effectively giving them pay rises of up to 30 per cent.
The Federal Opposition has called for Mr Dodson to resign from his post as Social Justice commissioner which pays a salary of well over $100,000.
Its Aboriginal Affairs spokesman Mr Peter Nugent said yesterday the report demonstrated the need for more accountability by all Aboriginal organisations. He said the Aboriginal Affairs Minister, Mr Robert Tickner, should ensure the individuals responsible were called to account.
Given the damning comments from the Auditor-General, we feel that it’s inappropriate for Mr Dodson to maintain that position,” Mr Nugent said.
The land Council a Commonwealth Government statutory authority, controls more than 163.000 sq km in the Northern Territory and has as income from mineral royalties of about $8.6 million a year.
The Auditor Generals report was the fifth review of the council in the past 13 years which uncovered financial misconduct.
The breaches includes :
Mr Nugent said his main concern was that money directed to Aboriginal welfare
was not getting through.
His comments were echoed by Labor MP Mr Graeme Campbell who called for independent audits of all land councils and Aboriginal legal services.
But the council’s new director, Mr Daryl Peace, has agreed to implement most of the report’s recommendations.
Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu is now chairman of ATSIC.
Mick Dodson now drives the barrow for Aboriginal autonomy in Australia.
The "racially sensitive" breaches were covered up the the Labor Party Government with the knowledge of Federal Aboriginal Minister Robert Tickner.... who is famous for the Hindmarsh Bridge fiasco.