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| Aboriginal campaigner and artist Jack Green to stand in Northern Territory election | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Prominent Aboriginal campaigner and artist Jack Green will stand as an independent in the upcoming Northern Territory election, hoping to give remote-living Indigenous Territorians a voice. | Prominent Aboriginal campaigner and artist Jack Green will stand as an independent in the upcoming Northern Territory election, hoping to give remote-living Indigenous Territorians a voice. |
| The Garawa elder from Borroloola in the southwest Gulf of Carpentaria, announced his candidacy outside Parliament House in Darwin on Thursday, and said his years of activism and butting up against the government have trained him well for the combat of parliament. | The Garawa elder from Borroloola in the southwest Gulf of Carpentaria, announced his candidacy outside Parliament House in Darwin on Thursday, and said his years of activism and butting up against the government have trained him well for the combat of parliament. |
| Related: Jacky Green: 'Nothing has really changed since whitefellas came. First it was horses now bulldozers' | Related: Jacky Green: 'Nothing has really changed since whitefellas came. First it was horses now bulldozers' |
| “I think I’ve trained enough, I think,” Green said, laughing. | “I think I’ve trained enough, I think,” Green said, laughing. |
| “Because I’ve done a fair bit around the community for homelands I thought it would be better for me to get in and try get this voice out a bit more. We feel we’re getting blocked there somewhere, and I want to be in there to make sure my people get the right things happening.” | “Because I’ve done a fair bit around the community for homelands I thought it would be better for me to get in and try get this voice out a bit more. We feel we’re getting blocked there somewhere, and I want to be in there to make sure my people get the right things happening.” |
| Green has been an outspoken campaigner for his community and its environment for decades, particularly against Glencore’s controversial McCarthur River mine and the responses from both territory and federal governments to concerns over environmental damage and pollution. In the past he’s criticised the “fly in and fuck off” nature of top-down consultation. | Green has been an outspoken campaigner for his community and its environment for decades, particularly against Glencore’s controversial McCarthur River mine and the responses from both territory and federal governments to concerns over environmental damage and pollution. In the past he’s criticised the “fly in and fuck off” nature of top-down consultation. |
| He is also a widely recognised artist, his paintings often depicting the community’s battle with mining projects. (You can read a profile of him and his work, by Guardian writer Paul Daley, here.) | He is also a widely recognised artist, his paintings often depicting the community’s battle with mining projects. (You can read a profile of him and his work, by Guardian writer Paul Daley, here.) |
| Should he win – a prospect supporters say is not unrealistic once preferences are taken into account – Green hopes to push for better housing and health outcomes for Aboriginal people who live on remote homelands and outstations. Development – including tourism and business – should be worked on in consultation and partnership with Aboriginal residents, he said. | Should he win – a prospect supporters say is not unrealistic once preferences are taken into account – Green hopes to push for better housing and health outcomes for Aboriginal people who live on remote homelands and outstations. Development – including tourism and business – should be worked on in consultation and partnership with Aboriginal residents, he said. |
| Related: Third Aboriginal community takes legal action against Northern Territory over poor housing | Related: Third Aboriginal community takes legal action against Northern Territory over poor housing |
| “It’s no good just putting more business in town when we need our homelands set up a bit more,” he said. | “It’s no good just putting more business in town when we need our homelands set up a bit more,” he said. |
| “If you’ve got something happening like an organisation that will work with Aboriginal people on outstations, that will benefit more people to stay on their homeland instead of staying in town doing what they’re not supposed to be doing, drinking and all that.” | “If you’ve got something happening like an organisation that will work with Aboriginal people on outstations, that will benefit more people to stay on their homeland instead of staying in town doing what they’re not supposed to be doing, drinking and all that.” |
| The electorate of Barkly is home to about 8,000 people, of which nearly 70% are Indigenous, and 5,100 are eligible to vote. It has been a Labor seat since 1990 and is currently held by Gerry McCarthy. | The electorate of Barkly is home to about 8,000 people, of which nearly 70% are Indigenous, and 5,100 are eligible to vote. It has been a Labor seat since 1990 and is currently held by Gerry McCarthy. |
| Green shares some policies with the Labor party he hopes to unseat from his electorate. Labor has promised a moratorium on fracking in the territory should they win office – a commitment for which they have been criticised by the NT government and resource sector for risking jobs and industry. Green said he would like them to take it further, and ban all kinds of fracking from the Northern Territory completely. | Green shares some policies with the Labor party he hopes to unseat from his electorate. Labor has promised a moratorium on fracking in the territory should they win office – a commitment for which they have been criticised by the NT government and resource sector for risking jobs and industry. Green said he would like them to take it further, and ban all kinds of fracking from the Northern Territory completely. |
| “I think they should stop fracking altogether because it’s going to affect the whole community,” he said. | “I think they should stop fracking altogether because it’s going to affect the whole community,” he said. |
| Related: Roseanne Fulton 'abandoned by government again' | Related: Roseanne Fulton 'abandoned by government again' |
| “It doesn’t matter what colour you are – black or white – you’re going to be affected by the gas if it comes into mainstream.” | “It doesn’t matter what colour you are – black or white – you’re going to be affected by the gas if it comes into mainstream.” |
| McCarthy told Guardian Australia he has known Green for over 35 years, and taught Green’s children when he was a teacher in various remote Barkly Indigenous schools. | McCarthy told Guardian Australia he has known Green for over 35 years, and taught Green’s children when he was a teacher in various remote Barkly Indigenous schools. |
| “More recently I have supported Jack as a constituent, passionate about Indigenous land rights, homelands, the environment and regional economic development,” McCarthy said, adding he was proud to see Green “demonstrating leadership” in standing for election. | “More recently I have supported Jack as a constituent, passionate about Indigenous land rights, homelands, the environment and regional economic development,” McCarthy said, adding he was proud to see Green “demonstrating leadership” in standing for election. |
| “In both previous NT general elections the Barkly ticket had four quality candidates and it looks like 2016 will deliver a similar contest. Let the people decide.” | “In both previous NT general elections the Barkly ticket had four quality candidates and it looks like 2016 will deliver a similar contest. Let the people decide.” |
| The Northern Territory is due to have an election in August, with a number of seats set to deliver a strong contest. Key members from both sides of the aisle will not be recontesting their seats, including current attorney general John Elferink, who is retiring, as well as treasurer Dave Tollner, and the former Labor opposition leader Delia Lawrie, both of whom were not re-endorsed by their parties. | The Northern Territory is due to have an election in August, with a number of seats set to deliver a strong contest. Key members from both sides of the aisle will not be recontesting their seats, including current attorney general John Elferink, who is retiring, as well as treasurer Dave Tollner, and the former Labor opposition leader Delia Lawrie, both of whom were not re-endorsed by their parties. |
| Since winning government in 2012, the Country Liberal party administration has dropped from a comfortable majority to a minority government after a series of resignations and scandals. | Since winning government in 2012, the Country Liberal party administration has dropped from a comfortable majority to a minority government after a series of resignations and scandals. |