Elder slams WA public housing policy as "backwards"

A Wongi elder from Kalgoorlie in Western Australia's Goldfields region says a State Government strategy to deal with anti-social behaviour is making people homeless.

The Department of Housing introduced its Disruptive Behaviour Management Strategy in 2009, which allows it to evict public housing tenants who behave disruptively or dangerously after repeated warnings.

Pastor Geoffrey Stokes (pictured) is the Minister of the local Aboriginal church in Kalgoorlie.

Late last year, Pastor Stokes led protests on behalf of evicted families outside the town's Department of Housing offices.

Pastor Stokes says the policy doesn't provide protection for evicted families from homelessness and some are now living in shanty towns made from sheets of corrugated iron.

"Well, it doesn't work for Aboriginal people.

"It's just set up just to kick people out and make them homeless...without talking to Aboriginal people - that's the biggest issue. I'm always saying that this is not their land, that their laws - mongrel laws from England.

"Now people are just going back into the corrugated irons that they came out of in the '50s and '60s. Concerning their policies, we're going backwards."

Pastor Stokes is also calling for unity amongst Indigenous people to improve their standing in Australian society.

He has lashed out at Australian governments for ignoring Aboriginal people and culture when formulating crucial policies in housing and land rights.

Pastor Stokes says Indigenous Australians who are often portrayed as 'leaders' by the media have vested political and economic interests and don't represent the majority of their people.

He says Indigenous people have been the victims of 'divide and conquer' policies by governments.

"The biggest weapon we have is us and unity and if we haven't got unity amongst ourselves, well the Government can do whatever they want.

"Our people were able to live for thousands of years in such harsh conditions because of family, their culture and their way of life and we can still do that today only if we live in peace with one another."

Click here to download the full interview with Pastor Geoffrey Stokes in mp3 format