TEN

Jarra outlined some of the problems his people faced in an address to a combined group of non-Aboriginal Territorians. He said that when Land Councils were established for Aboriginal people it was hailed by politicians as an olive branch significantly enhancing black-white relations, giving blacks the autonomy they had so long demanded. He added that most people knew it was a tactic to further divide and conquer the first Australians. The government created a council for every tribal group, hundreds were established. Then squabbles broke out between the groups, firstly about the borders, then about who should receive the greater share of limited government funding.

Politicians were perceived by the voting majority as being more than generous when they gave the councils so much money, hundreds of millions of dollars that soon grew to a billion dollars per year. He sardonically said the figure rolled off politician's tongues magnificently. What they had failed to explain to their white constituents was that the tribes were now expected to build and maintain their own roads, administration office centres, houses, schools and education systems, hospitals and medical systems, power and water supplies, and that, per capita, this was one-fifth of the finances that they allocated to white Australians for the same services.

Black leaders eventually saw through the ploy and the Aboriginal Land Councils of the Northern Territory agreed to unite. It had taken four years of discussions and clever negotiations but now their combined resources gave them real power. Each of the fifteen councils would provide a hundred thousand dollars annually to take on the task of unravelling the legal farrago created by the white law makers, especially with regard to the mining and pastoral rights to their homelands.

His talk was well received.

Two months previously, Jarra Mariba had been elected Chair of the Aboriginal Legal Watchdog Committee. Soon after the Lord Ludley matter, he challenged the legitimacy of pastoral leases over massive tracts of land which had recently been signed by the federal government. The tribes whose homelands were effected by this lease were not even permitted a voice in the proceedings.

In a High Court writ Jarra claimed that elders representing the groups, were coerced by government officials. Through handouts the government funded their very existence, they had no land on which to hunt and gather: they had lost control of their lives. Frustrated and anxious the elders had to agree. Importantly, Jarra pointed out, at no time did the elders have legal representation to advise them about the far reaching ramifications embodied in the leases; that made the elders' understanding of the contracts unequal to the government. In contract law this made the contract illegal. Jarra contended it was a position of inequality of which the government negotiators were well aware of. He simply stated that the signatory parties did not have an equal understanding of the contract, and Australia's High Court agreed.

At a press conference to explain his position on pastoral leases, Jarra drew not only the attendance of the national media but of government men, men with short hair cuts, dressed in suits who stood straight-backed, with a military bearing.

After the media releases were handed out and Jarra had briefly explained his position, he called for questions. A noisy clamouring followed as everyone tried to speak over the top of others. Smiling, Jarra singled out a man by pointing at him and asked him to repeat his question.

'Mr Mariba, don't you think you're blocking progress by inhibiting the government in its rural development of our country?'

'It is not my intention to inhibit the operations of the government of Australia. I was asked to represent my people in this matter and I aimed to do that to the best of my ability. Why would I do otherwise? I'm a trained lawyer and I was acting in my client's best interest.'

'Were you paid with government money?'

"I'm not sure where my client's money came from.'

There was a groan from the crowd.

'Wait a minute, my clients have income from various private companies who conduct legitimate business on their land, not to mention their own various businesses and arts activities. How can I be sure where my actual fees came from?'

'Is this another land grab by Aborigines?'

Jarra paused thoughtfully, troubled by the question.

'Let's just get it straight as to who is grabbing land here. I made a study of law and that is what this is all about. I put forward a writ which is based in law and the High Court agreed with my assumptions. This is not about land grabbing, it's about returning land to its rightful owners. This land was grabbed from them.'

He pointed again as questions were hurled at him.

'But isn't this a little bit of grandstanding on your part? We don't see any other Aboriginal people behaving the way you do.'

'Aboriginal people are under threat every day of their lives. So, you'd better get used to Aboriginal people defending themselves using whatever methods are available to them. There are lots of very bright Aboriginal students in our law schools right now who are well versed in modern media and how it effects public outcomes.'

'So we can expect to see more cases tried by media?'

'No... I want Australians, and the world, to know what there was about this contract that was wrong. That will go a long way in preventing it from happening again. My approach is to disseminate the law of the people, informing everyone I can, demystifying the legal system. If people are well informed they will make sound judgements but if they only hear one side, and if only one side is skilled in telling its version of events then things do become distorted and biased towards that one voice.'

'So you want us to report your side of the story?'

'Yes. I think that's fair.'

'Aren't you engaging the government in a propaganda war then?'

'Yes, you could say that. Yes, that's right. Please understand, that is precisely what the government has been engaged in since the first fleeters waded upon these shores.'

'Is this Lord Ludley case to do with the overall so-called invasion of Australia by the British?'

'No, today's High Court decision is to do with the Lord Ludley lease and how it was illegally founded and operated for profit for many years, all to the detriment of the indigenous owners of the land.'

The three straight-backed government men shuffled toward each other and one whispered something to the others which brought a smile to their faces.

'It might be worthwhile pointing out here that the Aboriginal elders who represented their people did not know what they were signing and the government and Lord Ludley, who is not even an Australian, knew that fact very well.'

'How do you think the British feel about the treatment you're giving to one of their titled land barons?'

'Frankly, I'm not concerned by what they think. Most British people are intelligent and fair-minded, they will understand perfectly what this is about. And don't forget, it was British justice that prevailed here today.'

'Isn't that a smack in the face for Australians?'

'No, I don't think so. Australians still have a British queen... our laws are still not legal until ratified by the British monarchy.'

'That sounds like you are anti-monarchy. Are you a Republican Mr Mariba?'

'Yes I am a Republican. Anyway, that really is another story that we shall have to save for another day.'

Jarra was becoming dry in the mouth and it had become extremely hot under the bright television lights. He shuffled in his seat, moving to leave.

'Mr Mariba is it true you're a communist?'

Jarra fell back stunned, angry. This man was obviously a plant, he thought, sent to this media conference with what Jarra called a political slime-bomb, not really a question at all. He knew the slime would stick if he didn't deal with it quickly.

'No, I'm not a communist! What paper are you with?'

'I'm not with a paper Mr Mariba, I work for Radio 2UE in Sydney. You have been seen in the company of well know and active communists. I ask you again are you a communist?'

'I answered your question.'

Jarra stood and began to leave but knew he could not walk out and leave the communist slur on the slate.

'Gees... government men, they're everywhere. Just take a look around you,' he said gesturing to the journalists. 'That's all for today. Thank you ladies and gentlemen.'

As he left the large room the reporters did just as he asked, the television cameras carefully scanned the room. The three short-haired, straight-backed men tried to blend in with the swarm but they stood out like the proverbial canine gonads. The next day, they were laughingly located on the television evening news and in newspapers across the country.