Mansell, Michael --- "The Black GST: A Proposition for all Indigenous People and Supporters" [2006] IndigLawB 1; (2006) 6(16) Indigenous Law Bulletin 2

• The Black Gst: A Proposition For All Indigenous People And Supporters

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The Black GST: A Proposition for all Indigenous People and Supporters

We did not consent to the taking of our land... Our sovereign rights as a people remain intact.
Michael Mansell

The Black GST campaign was launched in Melbourne in early 2005, aiming to get Indigenous rights back on the agenda through calling political attention to the issues of genocide (‘G’), sovereignty (‘S’) and treaty (‘T’).

The Black GST contends that these fundamental legal issues must be resolved for the holistic wellbeing of Indigenous peoples to finally be achieved, and for Australia more broadly to gain honour as a nation. Once genocide is stopped, sovereignty recognised and treaties made, Indigenous and non-Indigenous people will have finally put Australia’s ‘unfinished business’ behind them.

The Black GST has issued an invitation to all Indigenous people and supporters to gather and converge in Melbourne in the days leading up to and following the opening ceremony of the ‘Stolen’wealth Games on 15 March 2006. The Queen (Sovereign) will be opening the Games. (The Commonwealth Games run from15-26 March 2006 in Melbourne, Victoria.) In the tradition of the 1982 Commonwealth Games protests in Brisbane and the 1988 Bicentennial marches in Sydney, a national united action has the potential to turn an international spotlight on Australia’s deplorable record in Indigenous rights, as against comparable nations.

The presence of international media at the Stolenwealth Games is too good an opportunity to miss. This is a chance to focus international public and political attention on the injustice and human rights violations prevalent for Indigenous peoples in Australia and bring pressure to bear on both major political parties for their inaction.

Check <http://www.blackgst.com> for further information, including ways to involved; or sign up to the campaign’s announcements-only email list (low frequency) at <http://lists.riseup.net/www/subrequest/blackgst> .