The Guardian 11 February, 2009

Palm anger at MP's position

Alf Wilson

Comments by north Queensland federal MP Peter Lindsay that a "no job no house" policy should apply to the Aboriginal community of Palm Island have met with an angry response.

The Liberal Member for the north Queensland seat of Herbert was referring to a study submitted to the federal government by former Labor Minister Dr Gary Johns suggesting housing should not be provided to remote Aboriginal communities where there were no jobs and people were unable to pay rent or service a mortgage.

"This is a very poignant and practical appraisal by Dr Johns," Mr Lindsay told the Townsville Bulletin newspaper.

"Take Palm Island for example. With a population of 3,500, it remains one of the largest and most disadvantaged Indigenous communities in Australia.

"Palm Island has no industry, no agriculture and an unemployment rate of about 90 percent. It is an economically unsustainable place to live."

The Koori Mail newspaper surveyed 20 Indigenous people on January 21 and found little support for Mr Lindsay's views.

Robert Pearson, 30, was waiting in the Townsville Mall to travel to Rockhampton to represent the Palm Island Barracudas at an Allblacks carnival.

"We just don't have enough jobs and, if his comment came into place, most of the residents would have nowhere to live," he said.

Jimmy Doolan was also angry, and said his mother Lorna Lymburner was a respected Elder on Palm Island.

"Why doesn't Mr Lindsay go and live on Palm Island and see how he likes it? He wouldn't stay there long. It was a stupid thing to say," Mr Doolan said.

Stupid

Neil Pattel, 50, is a former Australian welterweight and middleweight professional boxing champion who often works on Palm Island.

"The unemployment on Palm is due to the bad policies of past governments and I would want to know his solution," Mr Pattel said. "What he is saying would make most islanders homeless and result in heaps more Indigenous people living in Townsville parks."

Champion Indigenous basketballer Rohanee Cox, who won a silver medal with the Australian Opals team at the recent Beijing Olympic Games, has conducted coaching clinics on Palm Island.

"Where are unemployed people there supposed to live? It is wrong what he is saying. I love Palm Island and more jobs need to be created there," she said.

All of the others spoken to by The Koori Mail criticised Mr Lindsay's comments, with several making mention of the fact he had said negative things about Palm Island in the past.

In January 2006, Mr Lindsay created national headlines when he called for the shutting down of the Indigenous community.

His comments infuriated and frightened many, and a day after they were published, a rumour had spread amongst residents that the army would be called in to forcibly remove islanders to the mainland.

Mr Lindsay said it was time to consider shutting Palm Island and moving its residents to the mainland where they had a better chance of finding work and making something of their lives.

The MP travelled to Palm Island last year where he received an at-times hostile reception before addressing the Council when Erykah Kyle was the Mayor.

Current Mayor Alf Lacey said that Mr Lindsay had not been to the island since he was elected in March 2008.

Mr Lacey said the "no job no house" policy sounded too much like those in place at the time of the Stolen Generations.

The Koori Mail

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