from the ABC (the Oz one)

Federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd has questioned whether the Government has changed its plans for the takeover of Indigenous land in the Northern Territory. The Federal Government originally said it would takeover about 60 townships for five years and pay appropriate compensation for doing so. But earlier today, Prime Minister John Howard would not give a guarantee it would be five years, or that the Indigenous communities would ever get their land back.

The Federal Government has taken control of about 60 Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory in an effort to stem child abuse. Mr Howard says the Government is not taking land from traditional owners, but rather is trying to give something back to the community.

"We are leasing the land for five years, then it goes back," he said.

"If there is any disturbance of title in that, there will be compensation paid.

"There are people trawling around to find a fault."

Mr Rudd says he wants to know what the Government's intentions are.

"Mr Howard has already outlined a proposal and as I recall it, [Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Mal] Brough's briefing to us was for a five-year limit," he said. "It would be interesting in the extreme if the Prime Minister's proposing to go beyond that."
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This is a land grab.