Audio: Gillard will be remembered for doing nothing - Michael Mansell

Transcript of Michael Mansell and CAAMA's Paul Wiles in CAAMA Radio News.

PAUL WILES:: First Nations rights campaigner Michael Mansell says outgoing Prime Minister Julia Gillard will be remembered in the context of Aboriginal Affairs as a woman who did nothing for his people. Mr Mansell said, under Gillards leadership the government extended the Northern Territory Intervention by 10 years and refused to give Aboriginal people a genuine political voice that had the ability to seriously represent Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders in a meaningful way.

"Across the board I think that her real railing was her willingness not to do anything positive to help Aboriginal people and I think thats what her legacy will be," Mr Mansell said. "With enormous power and influence and financial clout that the Federal Government have got they could have done a lot in land returns, promoted the retention of language and culture," he said "They could have insisted that the mining companies, who are ripping billions of dollars out of Aboriginal lands where Aboriginal people get jobs, (the Gillard government) could have done more - there could have been partnerships."

PAUL WILES:: Mr Mansell has urges his people to meet with Mr Rudd to discuss the state of Aboriginal affairs and what changes he might make.

"I think we have to be quick, we have to accept that the timetable for action is a very short one," Michael Mansell said "but in our favour is that Kevin Rudd will be looking for an issue that seperated him from the past couple of years under Julia Gillard, and Aboriginal affairs is a prime issue that Kevin Rudd is likely