Dr Martin Mowbray will present a seminar examining the intersection of contemporary NT politics and Aboriginal well-being on 17 November.
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs is inquiring into the Federal implications of statehood for the Northern Territory. This is as the NT Government's own Statehood Steering Committee continues its public education program to allay fears and prepare the electorate for another referendum.
When the 1998 referendum saw a slim majority of voters say no, a substantial Aboriginal opposition to statehood centred on (1) the failure to negotiate the proposal with Aboriginal people, and (2) the lack of consideration for Aboriginal interests in the Draft Constitution for the proposed new state.
The current process raises similar concerns. At their core is the question of how statehood or alternative governmental reforms might address the serious inequalities between Aboriginal and other people in the NT.
In this seminar Dr Martin Mowbray examines the intersection of contemporary Northern Territory politics and Aboriginal well-being. In particular, he takes up the issue of how statehood and governmental reform can be relevant to Aboriginal health.
Dr Mowbray has a short term appointment as a policy officer with the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Alice Springs. He is an Emeritus Professor in RMIT University, Melbourne.
This seminar takes place on Friday 17 November from 4pm to 5pm, followed by discussion, drinks and nibbles, in room 39 (ground level), building 39, Casuarina Campus, Charles Darwin University.