Yingiya Mark Guyula

Yingiya Mark Guyula is an Australian politician and a Yolŋu man of the Djambarrpuyŋu clan and the Liya-Dhälinymirr people. He is an independent member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the seat of Mulka in north-east Arnhem Land. He previously represented Nhulunbuy from 2016 to 2020. He is the only independent Indigenous member of parliament in the Northern Territory and campaigned on a platform of self-determination for Yolŋu people.

Yingiya Mark Guyula MLA
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Mulka
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 August 2020
Preceded by	New seat
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Nhulunbuy
In office 27 August 2016 – 22 August 2020
Preceded by	Lynne Walker
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	Mirrngadja, Northern Territory, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Independent
Occupation	Pilot Politician
Website	yingiya.net

Early life

Guyula was born and raised in Mirrngadja in Arnhem Land where he lived on his country with his family and extended kin learning a Yolŋu way of life. At the age of 10 he began a western education at Shepherdson College on Elcho Island and later went on to attend Dhulpuma College and the Nhulunbuy Area School. He then returned home to his family for a time before moving to Nhulunbuy to work with MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship), being trained in aircraft maintenance and engineering. Eventually he trained as a pilot in Victoria and became the first Yolŋu commercial pilot for the region in 1983.[1]

Career

Guyula went on to work in cross-cultural education, holding various roles in local schools, regional councils and community organisations.[1] He is also a NAATI accredited interpreter and worked as a senior lecturer at Charles Darwin University in its Yolŋu Studies program for many years.[2]

In 2016 he announced his candidacy for the 2016 Northern Territory election. Up against the incumbent Labor member for Nhulunbuy and Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Lynne Walker, he campaigned on a platform of self-determination and Treaty between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, in preference to the proposal for recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution of Australia.[3] As returns came in on election night, Guyula gradually closed the gap with Walker, and eventually took a narrow lead as Country Liberal preferences flowed overwhelmingly to him. After a recount, he won by eight votes.[4] His victory came as a major upset, especially given Labor's landslide victory at that election; Walker would have become Deputy Chief Minister had she retained her seat.

Shortly after the election, Guyula attracted criticism from the new Chief Minister, Michael Gunner after he claimed with regards to domestic violence that "A lot of the time, women start the fighting and men end up in jail".[5] Guyula has since said that many young people need support to build strong relationships, and that violence against women is not lawful in Yolngu culture, "As a senior leader, I need to be clear: the family violence we are seeing in our communities is not lawful - it is breaking the law".[6]

Shortly before being sworn into parliament, it was claimed that Guyula was a member of the Milingimbi Local Authority, and thus could be ineligible to run for parliament. The matter was referred to the Court of Disputed Returns.[7] The court dismissed the case on 1 December 2016, after reaching an agreement with the Northern Territory Electoral Commission.[8]

In early 2017 Guyula used parliamentary privilege to name nine children taken into care by the Northern Territory Government, who he alleged had been removed from their communities, contravening the principles of kinship care. Naming children in state care outside parliament is a criminal offence carrying a maximum two-year sentence of imprisonment.[9] The names of the children were subsequently removed from Hansard. Guyula defended his actions telling NITV that "I had to name nine children according to our law, Indigenous law... The NT government are not following the law. They broke their own law”.[10] Although strongly criticising his actions,[11] the NT Children's Commissioner remarked that she too was concerned not enough was being done to find out if Aboriginal children could be safely placed closer to home.[12]

During his time in parliament, Guyula has advocated for policies and programs that respect and work with Yolŋu law, culture and language. After nearly three years of requesting that Standing Orders be amended so that he could speak his first language of Djambarrpuyŋu, he became the first parliamentarian in Australia to make a substantial speech in an Aboriginal language using an interpreter on the Chamber floor.[13] In this speech he criticised successive CLP and Labor governments for dismantling bi-lingual and culturally appropriate education, and for failing remote Aboriginal communities.[14]

At the 2018 Garma Festival he presented Prince Charles with a traditional letter stick that asserted ongoing Yolŋu sovereignty and requested that Prince Charles mediate with the Federal Government to acknowledge Yolŋu sovereignty and promote a pathway to Treaty.[15] In that same year Guyula travelled to New York to speak at the United Nations's Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to advocate for stronger international pressure on the Australian and Northern Territory governments to recognise Yolŋu sovereignty, to enter into treaty negotiations directly with Indigenous nations and to support their rights to bi-lingual education.[16]

In 2019, Guyula introduced a motion to parliament calling for a parliamentary committee to inquire into policing on Aboriginal land in order to build better relationships between communities and police, and to empower elders to uphold their cultural authority.[17] Prior to this, it had been revealed by Guyula's questioning that 100% of children in detention in the NT are Indigenous.[18]

Guyula led opposition to the NT Government's proposed Burial and Cremations Bill in 2019, which could have seen Aboriginal people fined tens of thousands of dollars or imprisoned for up to two years for conducting traditional ceremonies as they are outside of government recognised cemeteries. Following his opposition, which was backed by Aboriginal land councils and justice agencies, the government withdrew the bill. Guyula remarked that governments are not listening to or respecting Aboriginal people and sovereignty; “I want to have a Government that is genuine about local decision-making and handing control back to the people. We shouldn’t have to fight for the livelihood of our culture. It should be a partnership”.[19]

Although largely elected by the bush vote, which is made up of predominantly Aboriginal communities and homelands (outstations), Guyula has also advocated for issues that affect the mining town and service hub of Nhulunbuy, from which his electorate takes its name. This includes on issues such as the high cost of living, travel and services in and around the town. Guyula has also repeatedly criticised the NT and federal governments, along with telecommunications provider Telstra, for their poor record of service to the town and surrounding region, claiming it is part of a broader neglect of remote towns and communities.[20]

Guyula is opposed to fracking in the Northern Territory and has stated his support for the development of the renewable energy industry. He has said in parliament in relation to the NT Government's decision to lift the moratorium on fracking that, "Strong action on climate change means that we do not support fracking and we move towards renewable energy.[21]

Guyula was reelected at the 2020 general election in a head-to-head rematch with Walker for the newly-created seat of Mulka which replaced Nhulunbuy at that election. He picked up a 4.9-point swing in his favour.[22]

References

1. "Pilot, lecturer, kingmaker: how a former aeroplane mechanic threw a spanner into NT Parliament". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
2. "Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative". Yolŋu Studies and Research. Charles Darwin University. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
3. Wahlquist, Calla (11 March 2016). "Treaty push should replace Indigenous Recognise campaign, says Yolngu leader". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
4. NTEC (24 October 2018). "Nhulunbuy". NTEC. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
5. Neda Vanovac (1 September 2016). "Domestic violence view wrong: Gunner". News.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
6. Yingiya Guyula (2 February 2020). "Indigenous culture not to blame for alcohol abuse,violence". theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
7. "NT Electoral Commission to refer Yingiya Mark Guyula's election to Court of Disputed Returns". Abc.net.au. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
8. "Nhulunbuy MLA Guyula to stay in NT Parliament, NTEC application dismissed". ABC News. 2 December 2016. Retrieved 8 March 2017.
9. NT Families department slammed for ‘not following protocol’
10. "NT Families department slammed for 'not following protocol'". NITV. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
11. "Subscribe to the NT News". www.ntnews.com.au. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
12. "Aboriginal child protection laws 'broken' by NT Government, Member for Nhulunbuy says". www.abc.net.au. 13 February 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
13. Cross, Hannah (15 May 2019). "Yingiya Mark Guyula makes history, addressing NT Parliament in language". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
14. "Debates and Questions - Day 2 - 7 August 2019". 7 August 2019. hdl:10070/753831. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
15. "Yolŋu Leader Gives Prince Charles A Treaty Letter Stick... And A Diplomatic 'Middle Finger'". New Matilda. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
16. "From the Big Apple to a tough battle". www.ntnews.com.au. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
17. "Aboriginal call for police to follow lore of the land". www.theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
18. Allam, Lorena (25 June 2018). "All children in detention in the Northern Territory are Indigenous". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
19. Cross, Hannah (30 October 2019). "Controversial Burial and Cremations Bill withdrawn by NT Government". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
20. "'No consequences': Calls for urgent action as Territorians go without food, power during mobile blackouts". www.abc.net.au. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
21. "Debates and Questions - Day 4 - 18 February 2020". 18 February 2020. hdl:10070/756094. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
22. Green, Antony. "NT Votes 2020: Mulka". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 October 2020.