So much for equality before the law. It’s becoming more and more apparent, on both sides of the Tasman, that there are two sets of laws – based entirely on race. A progressive apartheid, in other words.
But where, 40 years ago, the New Zealand left protested vociferously against apartheid, today they’re all for it. Ditto, Australia.
And the beneficiaries of the new apartheid too, obviously consider themselves a law unto themselves.
When 74 year old Kevin Mason was filmed by a Fisheries officer, taking a big bag of abalone in NSW, he loudly protested his “rights” to ignore catch limits.
“You know the rules here. I’m a native title holder. Don’t touch my food,” Mr Mason says in the video. “Don’t get nasty with me please.”
The rules, eh? As it happens, there are rules – even for Aborigines.
There are strict bag limits for catching abalone — Aboriginal people are permitted 10 abalone per catch per person in New South Wales.
Fisheries NSW officers are constantly clashing with Yuin people, who insist they are exercising their rights under Commonwealth native title legislation to take what they like on their country.
Except, it’s not “theirs”. It’s Australia’s. While a claim has been put forward, a search of the National Native Title Register shows that there is no current native title determination.
Dozens of Aboriginal people were charged last year, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics.
[Department of Primary Industries (DPI) deputy director-general Sean Sloan] told the ABC fisheries officers would continue to monitor Aboriginal divers to make sure their catch was being used for “cultural” and not “commercial” means.
He said the government needed to manage the stocks on behalf of the “whole community”.
But as far as one small section of the community appears to believe, the rest of the community are second-rate citizens.
Contrary to the “jus’ feedin’ me family, officer” excuses, good old filthy lucre may be the real objective.
The Yuin are adamant their people have a right to decide what happens with their resources and how they are used, including for commercial purposes.
Except that commercial fishers are expected to comply with the law – if they’re non-Aboriginal.
NSW Abalone Association secretary John Smythe said Aboriginal people had been prosecuted because they took more than what was “allowed”.
“It doesn’t matter whether [they’re Aboriginal] or not, any person exceeding those sustainable limits set for both the recreational or the cultural fishing sector, it’s illegal and they should face court,” he said.
ABC Australia
Except that, as is becoming clearer by the day, there are two sets of laws taking shape in this country. One imposes strict limitations on what people are allowed to do with scarce resources. The other lets a privileged group do more or less as they please.
But then, that’s always been the way of apartheid systems.
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