Independent MP for the Northern Territory seat of Mulka, Yiŋiya Mark Guyula, has spoken out about racism he faces in the NT.
Writing on social media, Mr Guyula wrote of a series of incidents, including one last week at a petrol station in Darwin.
"United in Darwin refused to serve me last week unless I provided ID. I was driving my hire car to the airport to fly out to Milingimbi after parliament sittings and the pump wouldn't work," he said.
"The attendant waved me inside and asked how much I wanted to pay. I said I didn't know because I needed the tank to be full. He said he wanted me to pay first. Again, I said I didn't know how much because the tank needed to be filled. He asked me to provide ID before pumping so I said 'No, I'll go somewhere else' and walked away. Another car in front of me had arrived and filled up with no problems. Cars after me, filled up with no problems."
Mr Guyula wrote that he encountered other examples of "a culture of racism" in Darwin during his stay there for parliament's sitting period.
"Once with my family in a shop where several shop attendants didn't want to come and help us. We waited patiently for a long time and eventually we asked for help and they said they were all too busy serving one other customer, so we left," he said.
The Yolŋu MP touched on past incidents in which his family encountered racism.
"Earlier this year a security guard in Katherine ordered my family off the grounds of a motel where we were staying, I was getting the key to unlock our room and my family were waiting in the car and were told to leave or the police would be called. Later they explained they had 'local people' - meaning Aboriginal people - breaking in earlier in the week," he said.
"This is the culture that is coming through for Aboriginal people - that we are not equal, that we are all criminals. It's about the colour of skin not about who we are or where we are from.
"This is what happens when we have divisive governments who don't work respectfully with First Nations communities and don't work to address underlying issues of the problems we see and just want to talk about 'criminals, drunks, antisocial behaviour, public nuisance', instead of working with communities for community-led solutions."
Mr Guyula has previously warned that the new CLP Territory government's approach to crime, particularly youth offending, will do nothing to reduce crime, while significantly increasing the NT's prison population.
"We need to call this out. We shouldn't be experiencing racism in our community. As I said in Parliament last week, I am sorry for the crime that is happening in our communities but this has come from decades of bad government policies like the Intervention where our people have been disempowered and dehumanised," he said.
"What we needed then and now is Self-determination, treaties and empowerment so that our people can grow up strong and proud. we can start to solve these problems if the government works with First Nations people in true partnerships, but not if we continue with locking people up and ignoring the underlying issues and building a culture of racism."
Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman told the ABC reports of racism from First Nations people were "widespread".
"Sadly I'm not surprised at all about instances of racism against First Nations people anywhere and whatever positions they hold — even if they're in positions of power," he said.
He said a recent report from the Human Rights Commission examining racism against Indigenous people showed it was 'deeply ingrained within Australian society'."
"It shouldn't be the case that one group of people have far worse outcomes in so many areas of our lives," the Commissioner said.
