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- Senator Roberts' Talks: Engagement and Relevance Survey
Ashby Slams Premier's "Barefaced Lie"
The Queensland Premier's claim to have provided feedback to the Federal Court on an exclusive-use native title claim on Great Keppel Island (Woppa) has been called out as a “barefaced lie” by One Nation candidate for Keppel James Ashby.
Mr Ashby said a right-to-information request to the Department of Justice and Attorney General's office seeking this feedback had been denied on the grounds the document was ‘non-existent'.
He made the request following a statement by Premier Miles on Sunday 23 June, when the Queensland Premier said: ‘I don't think it's fair to say we're challenging it - what we've provided to the court is the state's feedback and that's what we do in these processes.'
Mr Ashby said Labor deliberately kept the exclusive-use native title claim on Great Keppel Island a secret.
“This barefaced lie that the Premier had provided feedback to the court is unforgivable,” Mr Ashby said.
“It's one broken promise after another from this government.”
Mr Ashby said the community were promised support for a casino license by the Member for Keppel, only for her to turn around and vote against it in Labor's first term in Government.
“We've had tens of millions of dollars' worth of promises made for a jetty, barge ramp, power and water, amenities and new walking tracks, but where are they?”, he asked.
“Now we have a Labor government which appears more interested in handing over the majority of land on Great Keppel Island to the Woppaburra people for exclusive use.
“Neither of the major parties have opposed this claim, or any others being imposed on Queensland communities.
"When are these parties going to start representing all Queenslanders on these claims instead of only representing the people who stand to gain from them?"
The recent claim for native title was launched by the Woppaburra people on 13 May.
Mr Ashby said if successful it would result in non-indigenous Australians being locked out from 84 per cent of the island.
He has vowed to oppose the application if he is successful in October's state election.
Member for Keppel Brittany Lauga said the native title application is in the pre-notification stage, meaning it has not even been accepted as a formal application by the tribunal as yet.
“Mr Ashby would be wise to request a briefing from Senator Hanson about how the Native Title process works,” she said.
“We have seen a revolving door of developers over the years, including Australia's wealthiest woman, Gina Rinehart.
“Each had a different plan and each had different demands of the government.
“The leases have now been seized back in public hands and the State Government is keenly progressing on the Great Keppel Island Master Plan.”
When CQ Today contacted the Premiers office, a Queensland Government spokesperson said the state is a respondent to all Queensland native title claims and will always provide feedback to the court and native title applicants to ensure the state's interests are represented.
“Anyone claiming the contrary or saying we should not has questions to answer themselves about why that should not be done," they said.
CQ Today sighted the response from the Department of Justice and Attorney Generals office to Mr Ashby's request for feedback on GKI allegedly provided to the Federal Court by the state government which stated: Right to Information access application - Notice of a considered decision under section 47(3)(e) of the Right to Information Act 2009 - Document non-existent.
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