2016-06-19
Peter Mitchell and Pat Lowe
About 60 members and supporters attended a public meeting for The Greens on the evening of June 8, at the Convention Centre in Broome. Senator Richard Di Natale was making his first visit to the Kimberley as national leader of The Greens; he was accompanied by Senator Rachel Siewert, MLCs Robin Chapple and Lyn McLaren, and Durack candidate Ian James. Yawuru traditional custodian Dianne Appleby gave a considered and heartfelt Welcome to Country, in Yawuru and English, after introductions by local supporter and MC for the evening, Jan Lewis.
Senator Di Natale gave a formal speech, which emphasised the Greens commitment to country AND culture — he and the other Greens reps had just returned from Ardyaloon (One Arm Point), a remote Aboriginal community 200 km north of Broome, where he had announced the Greens' election commitment to a major expansion of the Indigenous Rangers program. He spoke of climate change as the overriding threat facing Australia and the world.
Rachel and Robin also spoke, and Ian then introduced himself as the Durack candidate, and gave an insight into his challenging life journey to this point, as a Cunderdin wheat-sheep farmer and passionate advocate for GMO-free agriculture. As a second-time-around candidate, Ian was known to some of the audience already, which included former Kimberley candidate Pat Lowe, and other local elders, such as veteran naturalist and conservationist Dave Dureau and Shire Councillor Elsta Foy.
Once the formalities were over, the crowd relaxed and mingled by the bar, served by the Convention Centre's charming staff, while some heeded the call to support local members by signing up to help with tasks for the election campaign.
Photo: Event MC Jan Lewis, seated, and senior Yawuru Traditional Owner Diane Appleby, giving the Welcome to Country Timothy John