Yanner forced off land council
03.02.2000
OUTSPOKEN Aboriginal leader Murrandoo Yanner has been forced to stand down from his position as co-ordinator of the Carpentaria Land Council based at Burketown, north of Mount Isa.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Mount Isa regional manager Iain Faithfull wrote to the Carpentaria Land Council saying ATSIC funding would be withheld from the council if Mr Yanner continued in his position.
The letter said the Aboriginal Councils and Associations Act stipulated that no person convicted of an offence attracting a sentence of imprisonment for a year or more could hold a management position in an organisation receiving ATSIC funding.
The Queensland Court of Appeal in December imposed an 18-month sentence of imprisonment, wholly suspended for four years, on Mr Yanner for assault convictions.
The original trial judge had imposed a fine and community service order.
Mr Faithfull's letter said: ``Mr Yanner appears to be prohibited from being a member of the governing committee of an incorporated Aboriginal association under the Act, including the Carpentaria Land Council.
``On September 15, 1999, Carpentaria Land Council accepted the grant offer from ATSIC for 1999-2000 financial period to provide native title services and in doing so, agreed to comply with the general terms and conditions of the grant.
``As a consequence of the prohibition in clause 12.1 of the grant conditions, should Mr Yanner continue to play a role in the management or financial administration of the Land Council, the council will be in breach of the grant conditions. This could affect further funding of the organisation.
``This is a serious matter which requires the consideration of you and other members of the Land Council's governing committee.
``It is not for ATSIC to dictate what action the Land Council should take and you may wish to seek your own legal advice.''
Mr Yanner has appealed against the Court of Appeal decision which brought the suspended jail sentence upon him. That decision also precluded him from taking up his position as an elected ATSIC commissioner.
ATSIC has the legislative ability to waive the conditions of the grant and Mr Yanner is expected to make an application for that to occur.
The Carpentaria Land Council is regarded as one of the best-run in the country and last year submitted an unqualified audit for all its accounts.
