Tim Rowse - abstract

The Treaty debate 1979-1983                       

It is perhaps not often recalled that when Dr. HC.Coombs convened the 'Aboriginal Treaty Committee (ATC) in 1979, one of his concerns was to reinforce the ascendancy of policy-making by the Commonwealth over policy-making by the States. My account of the first treaty debate (1979-83), deals with four themes

 - the ATC's mode of campaigning

- the relationship between the ATC and the NAC

- the 'sovereignty' issue

- the problem of federalism

I want to emphasise the issue of federalism. Federalism has been, and remains, a structure adverse to Indigenous interests. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, this was made clear in a series of episodes in which State governments demonstrated their contempt for 'land rights'. It has been highlighted again in 2001, by a report from the Commonwealth Grants Commission. One of the benefits of discussing a treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians was and is that it holds Australian federalism up to scrutiny. Perhaps we might go even further and argue that the most important strategic objective of a treaty, now, is the reform of Australian federalism.