Legislation which has enabled the transfer of land in Toobeah to an indigenous corporation without community consent on the eve of the state election must be repealed.

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson said that although it was obvious the community in Toobeah was opposed to its land being taken from them, the Labor government ignored the community and transferred the land to a Brisbane-based indigenous corporation just before entering caretaker mode.

“We must get rid of the Aboriginal Land Act,” Senator Hanson said. “We cannot permit any more communities in Queensland to have land ripped away from them.

“These organised thefts take place in secret, behind closed doors and communities which are impacted are not given any say in the matter. The reason they’re not given any say is because they are very likely to oppose the transfer – and the government refuses to hear anyone saying that.

“There are another 14 communities across Queensland affected by proposed land transfers under this appalling legislation. One Nation will do everything we can to protect these communities, and to reverse the transfer of land at Toobeah.

“We’re the only party contesting this election promising to get rid of this legislation, and repeal the divisive ‘path to treaty’ legislation too. We’re the only party with a policy that says that Queensland belongs to all Queenslanders, equally.”

Senator Hanson called on the Goondiwindi Regional Council, the Labor government and the local state MP to apologise to the people of Toobeah.

“The government and the council headed by Lawrence Springborg should apologise for keeping the Toobeah community in the dark while they actively worked against the
community’s interests to transfer the land to some faceless indigenous corporation more than 400km away,” she said. “The local member must apologise for failing to stand up for the Toobeah community.

“They only started talking to the Toobeah community when One Nation stepped in and demanded consultation. The government and council had already been working to transfer the land to the Bigamul indigenous corporation for the past four years. Labor can’t win the Southern Downs electorate so they don’t care what happens to Toobeah.

“This is a disturbing example of the fragility of democracy in Queensland – land for which the Toobeah community has cared for over a century has been taken from them without their consent, and without any government accountability. More than 6.7 million hectares of Queensland has been transferred under this law. It’s racially divisive and it has to stop.” 

ENDS