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self-management
land rights
additional funds
self-sufficiency
A Liberal and National Country Party Government will respond
with new initiatives to each of these basic claims.
1. Aboriginal Self-Management
Increasing numbers of Aborigines are intent on preserving and
expressing their "Aboriginality'*.
Aboriginality is a spirit of kinship and affinity which
transcends family relationships and which can embrace tribal and non-
tribal Aborigines alike.
This resurgent spirit of Aboriginality is now claiming
recognition and affirmation through many independent Aboriginal bodies.
/
The Liberal and National Country Parties recognise that if a
policy of self-management is to be effective, Aborigines must play a
leading role in their affairs. This will include Aborigines playing
a significant role:
(a) in setting the long term goals and objectives which the
government should pursue and the programmes it should
adopt in such areas as Aboriginal education, housing,
health, employment and legal aid;
(b) in setting the priorities for expenditure on Aboriginal
affairs within the context of overall budget allocations;
and
(c) in evaluating existing programmes and formulating new ones.
Aborigines not only have a significant role in these matters.
They must also assume responsibility for the success of the
programmes adopted. Only in this way will inefficiency, waste and
disillusionment which have characterised many of the previous
programmes be removed.
As part of this policy of self-management we will encourage
Aboriginal agencies and organisations at all levels. In government
we will conduct an urgent enquiry in consultation with the
Aboriginal people into the role of the National Aboriginal Consul-
tative Committee (N.A.C.C.) to determine the role which the N.A.C.C.
should have in relation to government and how best that role could
be fulfilled.
2. Aboriginal Land Rights
We recognise that fundamental to the Aborigines* sense of
Aboriginality - of affinity with one another - is their affinity with
the land.