The Independent Member for Mulka in the Northern Territory has announced his departure from the parliament, effectively immediately.
Yiŋiya Mark Guyula, a Yolŋu man of the Djambarrpuyŋu clan, has served the eastern Arnhem Land electorate for ten years, a steadfast advocate for his people and Aboriginal communities across the Territory.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Guyula nominated several reasons for his departure, including a desire to mentor the 'next generation' of Yolŋu leaders and 'health concerns'.
However the statement's trenchant criticisms of the NT's CLP government, and politics more broadly, suggest a fatigue with the system had finally become too much.
We are kindly offering partnership, but instead of diplomacy the government are walking all over us.
"It has been my aim to come to Parliament to try and work with government to fix problems and make things better," his statement reads.
"I have been sent by my people to work with the government but their answer has always been, 'we know what is best for you'.
"Aboriginal communities are the political football that gets passed around with no real intention of working with our people to bring positive change for our communities.
"I no longer feel that I can be a part of the NT parliament and sit opposite a government who are not willing to listen or form partnerships.
"We are kindly offering partnership, but instead of diplomacy the government are walking all over us."
Guyula's last years in parliament have been marked by the Finocchiaro government's introduction of punitive laws and changes to First Nations policy characterised by human rights groups, legal bodies, and Indigenous organisations as regressive.
Elected on a 'tough on crime' platform, the government's changes have seen an explosion in the number of Aboriginal Territorians incarcerated.
Their most recent Indigenous policy change, and perhaps the most contentious, was a sweeping overhaul of child protection laws, ostensibly in response to the alleged abduction and murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
The laws were interpreted as severely weakening the child placement principle, a Bringing Them Home report recommendation that aims to keep Indigenous children placed in out of home as close to kin and culture as possible.
Referencing the laws, Guyula's statement repeated his accusation made earlier this month at Garma Festival that, collectively, the government's actions amounted to a 'slow genocide'.
"I appealed to the government to withdraw the Bill and work with communities to bring real changes that will work," Guyula said.
"Since their election, the CLP have introduced too many laws that are dehumanising, oppressing and destroying our communities and our people.
"They have significantly failed Aboriginal people and their ongoing actions are contributing to the breakdown of our culture and people, in what is now becoming a slow genocide."
"This is very serious business because people are dying."
Guyula also used his appearance at Garma, the annual summit of culture and politics held at Gulkula on Gumatj Land, to propose a radical overhaul of Indigenous affairs in the Territory.
Pointing to the failures nominated in his resignation letter, including a 30 per cent increase in the prison population (of which Aboriginal inmates represent between 90 and 100 per cent), Guyula said he had already travelled to Canberra to plead with the federal government to intervene.
“Throughout this time of racist laws and policies that target Aboriginal people, the federal government has refused to intervene,” he said in his Garma address.
“But we desperately need federal government support, now more than ever. We need true partnerships, we need support so that we can protect our people.”
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy has expressed interest in leaning on federal funding levers to affect Territory policy several times in the last year, however more drastic action does not appear to be on the Albanese government's agenda.
Guyula offered his profound gratitude to his people and his community for their work and support during his decade in parliament.
"We will continue to hold this hope and vision of a better future. No one thought a Yolŋu person could be elected as an Independent Member of Parliament but we did it three times."
Tributes for a 'true representative' for his people
As news emerged of the MLA's shock resignation on Wednesday, his years of advocacy and parliamentary work were hailed by figures across the political establishment.
In a statement, Minister McCarthy said he was a man of "great strength and leadership".
"I know his story is not done with his retirement," she wrote.
"He will continue to fight for homelands, for justice and against racism."
Independent senator for Victoria Lidia Thorpe said she was "heartbroken" by the news, but sympathised with his decision.
"Yiŋiya is a true representative of his people ... He showed that Aboriginal people can represent their communities on their own terms, accountable directly to their people rather than to any political party.
"But I understand why he would make this decision ... This is a government that refuses to listen when First Peoples say their laws are harming our communities."
Territory opposition leader Selena Uibo's office also praised Guyula's decade in parliament.
"He has used his place in the Legislative Assembly to stand up for the communities he represents and to highlight the importance of language, lore and culture.
"We acknowledge his contribution and respect his decision to return to country and continue that work alongside his family, Elders and community."
NITV has approached the NT government for comment.
