PM, who pledged an annual week in a remote Indigenous community, says Mabo decision was ‘very contentious’ 20 years ago but ‘absolutely accepted’ now

Tony Abbott praises Eddie Mabo for 'having a go' on visit to Torres Strait

Tony Abbott has praised the late Indigenous land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo for “having a go”, during the prime minister’s first full day of a trip to the Torres Strait.

Abbott visited the island of Mer on Monday to attend the grave of Mabo, whose land rights case led to the landmark high court decision in 1992 upholding native title.

“It’s a very moving place to be, because this was a warrior, not simply a strong man physically, but a strong man culturally and spiritually, who decided that he would take on the legal establishment,” the prime minister said after the visit.

“He would take on the previously settled view of Australian law, and good on him for having a go, and ultimately good on our system for being able to accommodate Eddie Mabo and the other plaintiffs’ cry for justice.”



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The Mabo case prompted Paul Keating’s Labor government to pass native title legislation in 1993 – but Abbott previously took a negative view of the then prime minister’s handling of the issue.

In February 1994, Abbott told the ABC: “I think at this time in our national life, the important thing to focus on is beating Paul Keating, because the Keating government is dividing this nation as never before, whether it be Mabo, whether it be the constitutional question, whether it be the fact that there are still one million people unemployed.”

Keating’s native title laws were subsequently amended by John Howard’s Coalition government in 1998. Those changes followed the high court’s decision in the Wik case in 1996 that pastoral leases did not necessarily extinguish native title rights.

The Labor leader, Bill Shorten, said he was pleased Abbott had visited Mabo’s grave. “I think hopefully this shows a maturing in Mr Abbott’s views from 20 years ago,” he said.

“I hope now this is growing recognition that Eddie Mabo was a great Australian and that that decision was important, another step forward to effecting full reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia and the rest of Australia.”

Abbott, who promised to spend a week each year in a remote Indigenous community, said the Mabo decision was “very contentious two decades back” but was now “absolutely accepted by all Australians” as a sign of the fundamental justice in Australian society.

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“This is really the start of my trip to the Torres Strait, and the northern cape,” he said.

“Indigenous people are about 3% of our population and I think it’s fair enough that a prime minister should spend about 2% of the year in a remote part of Australia, focusing mainly on Indigenous issues. That doesn’t mean I can’t handle other things as well while I’m here, but for this week there will be a substantial focus by government on Indigenous issues.”

Abbott has been accompanied by the Indigenous affairs minister, Nigel Scullion, and will be joined by several other ministers for parts of the trip.

The prime minister also warned against rushing the process of developing the form of words for a promised referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians in the constitution, saying it was important to get it right.

Abbott said he remained hopeful of reaching a consensus by mid-2016 about the changes that would be put to voters the following year. He agreed last week to allow Indigenous-specific consultations as part of the broader process, despite previously resisting the idea.