Aust. racialist, says Aboriginal

Press, Issue 33844, 16 May 1975, Page 9

Aust. racialist, says Aboriginal

<«Vetr Zealand Press Association—Copyright) LONDON', May 15. Millions of Britons were told on television last night that Australia was j a racialist country with an appalling record in her treatment of Aboriginals. i

Appearing in a current af-l fairs programme, an Abori-; ginal public servant, Mr Charles Perkins, alleged that; Australia had 2000 Aboriginal lepers; that the infant mortality rate among Abori-i ginals was 120 per 1000,! compared with 8 per 1000 for white Australians; and that Aboriginal housing comprised 60 per cent shack or shanty dwellings. The Australian High Com-; mission had earlier declined 1 a request to allow a repre-' sentative to debate the Aus-i tralian Government’s Abori- I ginal policy in the pro- i gramme. Mr Perkins said: “Abori- I ginals are being exploited by; white Australians who stoleour land from us. and the Australian Government is; not doing enough about the situation. “I want to make Britons aware of the situation, sol that they can exert pressure! on the Government. 1 want! to protest on the inter-! national scene against the fact that Australia is a rac-, ialist country.” Earlier in the day, Mr Per-! kins had held a quiet demonstration outside Australia House with another Aboriginal, Mr Robert Liddle. I They handed ou leaflets to passers-by, and Mr Perkins told shoppers and bowler-1 hatted businessmen: “Something violent can happen in Australia soon, because the. Aboriginals will take matters into their own hands." Mr Perkins later spoke to

the Australian High Commissioner in London (Sir John Bunting), for half an hour, and also visited No. 10 Downing Street where he presented a leaflet to a doorman. 1