Thursday, 14 September, 2006

by Jim Green
The Australian Financial Review

dear Editor,

Martin Ferguson's attack on the environment movement and Indigenous
Australians is ill-informed and contradictory (Resist this toxic
activism, AFR, 13/9).

Ferguson claims environmentalists and other special interest groups
"have used indigenous communities to peddle their own ideology" and
that "indigenous communities are starting to make their own decisions
about these issues."

Indigenous communities have always made their own decisions about
nuclear proposals and it is offensive and paternalistic for Ferguson
to suggest otherwise. All too often Indigenous communities say 'no'
to nuclear projects, only to have their opposition ignored by the
likes of Ferguson.

Any number of examples come to mind. The Mirarr Traditional Owners
are unanimous in their opposition to the Ranger uranium mine in the
Northern Territory - but Ferguson sides with his 'special interest
group', mining company Rio Tinto.

At a recent debate in Melbourne, Ferguson was asked repeatedly what
he intends to do about the indefensible and racist situation whereby
the Roxby Downs uranium mine in South Australia is exempt from the
Aboriginal Heritage Protection Act. Ferguson's silence was deafening.

Ferguson is also deaf to the 78% of Labor Party voters opposed to any
new uranium mines in Australia.

Jim Green
Friends of the Earth
Melbourne