Uibo rejects claims she threatened to cut Garma Festival funding

ABORIGINAL Affairs Minister Selena Uibo has rejected claims she threatened to cut government funding for the Garma Festival if she was not allowed to speak at the event

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo has rejected claims that she threatened to cut government funding at the Garma Festival after she was blocked from speaking at the opening ceremony. Picture: Justin Kennedy

ABORIGINAL Affairs Minister Selena Uibo has rejected claims she threatened to cut government funding for the Garma Festival if she was not allowed to speak at the event next year.

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The Member for Arnhem was blocked from speaking at the Garma Festival’s opening ceremony last week, where she also refused to guarantee the NT Government would continue to sponsor the festival, which is organised by the Yothu Yindi Foundation (YYF).

In parliament today the Opposition Leader Gary Higgins asked Chief Minister Michael Gunner if he had admonished Selena Uibo for her “petulant and threatening behaviour” towards the Yothu Yindi Foundation chief executive Denise Bowden.

Yothu Yindi Foundation CEO Denise Bowden speaks during the Key Forum policy conference at the Garma Festival (AAP Image/Supplied by Yothu Yindi Foundation, Melanie Faith Dove)

“She threatened to withdraw government funding for the Garma Festival unless she got a speaking gig next year,” he said.

A spokeswoman from Minister Selena Uibo’s office said she dismissed the claim as “completely untrue”.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner defended the Ms Uibo during question time in parliament today, saying she had his “full support.”

“There is no better advocate for aboriginal affairs than Minister Uibo,” Mr Gunner said

“There was some policy things put on the agenda at the Garma Festival as there always is and one of those is the assertion about how does the Territory government work best to promote Indigenous Territorians.

“The CEO of YYF puts a counter point to that and the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs very strongly advocated on behalf of what the NT Government was doing to deliver a better, stronger, more prosperous NT.”

READ Denise Bowden’s full speech here