The Wik debate

"The Wik debate, and the final compromise between John Howard and Brian Harradine in July 1998. generated enormous controversy in Australia. Among the most prominent participants in the debate was Frank Brennan, a Jesuit priest and lawyer who has long argued for Aboriginal land rights. Anxious to avoid a 'race election', Brennan argued for a compromise solution to allow the government's legislation through the Senate. As emotions intensified, Father Brennan's role in the debate became increasingly controversial.

The Wik Debate: Its Impact on Aborigines, Pastoralists and Miners traces the debate generated by the High Court's Wik decision. It demonstrates how the government's original native title legislation needed to change to benefit all the major interest groups. And it shows how the Harradine compromise was necessary to avoid a long and divisive stand-off among major interest groups." -- Provided by publisher