Qld: Public servant ban will hurt Palm Islanders: Bligh

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2008
Qld: Public servant ban will hurt Palm Islanders: Bligh

EDS: Updates Bligh comments

BRISBANE, Dec 2 AAP - An indigenous mayor who is trying to ban Queensland public servants
from his troubled community has been branded as irresponsible by the state's premier.

Palm Island mayor Alf Lacey says grievances on the island have been ignored by the
Queensland government, so non-essential state workers are no longer welcome.

Premier Anna Bligh said the ban was unlawful and would only work to the detriment of
the community.

"It is grossly irresponsible," Ms Bligh told state parliament on Tuesday.

"I can think of few communities in Queensland or Australia that need the assistance
of government more than Palm Island."

People on Palm Island are 25 times more likely to be hospitalised for assault than
other Queenslanders, and school attendance is just 68 per cent compared with a state average
of 89 per cent, Ms Bligh said.

She called on Mr Lacey to lead his community by supporting the government's efforts
in health, education and other support.

"The mayor on this issue is comprehensively wrong. He suggested in reports this morning
... that public servants from George Street were heading to Palm Island for a holiday,"

she said.

"I can assure the mayor that people from the Queensland public sector that visit Palm
Island in the course of their duties do so because that is their job.

"We will continue to send public servant there to do their work."

Opposition local government spokesman Howard Hobbs said that while he sympathises with
the council's issues, he cannot support its tactics.

"I don't think this is the way a community should operate," he said.

Mr Lacey said if the government ignored the ban, islanders would refuse to deal with them.

Palm Island made international headlines when residents burned down government facilities
after local man Cameron Doomadgee died in police custody in November 2004.

AAP gd/pjo/jl

KEYWORD: PALM 2ND UPDATE

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