Howard govt 'overlooked Indigenous self-determination'
Posted 8 hours 37 minutes ago

Map: Darwin 0800
Outgoing Northern Territory Labor Party president, federal MP Warren Snowdon, says the former Howard government achieved little in Indigenous affairs.

Mr Snowdon is chairing this weekend's Territory Labor conference in Darwin, where the future of the emergency intervention into remote communities is a key theme for discussion.

Mr Snowdon says self-determination was overlooked by the Howard government, but cannot be ignored.

"The rights agenda is still there, there's no question about that," he said.

"But there is an absolute need identified by the Prime Minister and Jenny Macklin, and I think to be fair to him the Leader of the Opposition, about addressing disadvantage, now we've got to do it," he said.

"We had practical reconciliation going on under John Howard and nothing happened."