Senator Keeffe asked the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, upon notice, on 17 October 1979:

(   1 ) Did the Chairman or the Manager of the Northern Land Council employ Mildren and Partners to act for the Northern Land Council in September 1 978; if so, was this under powers granted by any Commonwealth Act, and what is the title of the Act.

(2)   Have Mildren and Partners acted at any time for the Northern Territory policeman who allegedly founded the Northern Territory Branch of the Ku Klux Klan; if so what were the charges against the policeman.

(3)   Did the Commonwealth Government pay the legal fees of Mildren and Partners from the time they were retained by the Northern Land Council until the signing of the Ranger Agreement; if so, what was the amount paid by the Commonwealth.

(4)   Did Mildren and Partners act for any objectors to the Alligator Rivers Land Claim which was heard during the course of the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry; if so, who were the objectors, and what was the nature of their objections.

Senator Chaney - The answer to the honourable senator's question is as follows:

(   1 ) The Northern Land Council appointed Mildren and Partners to act on a matter basis in September 1978 under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act.

(2)   I am informed that because Mildren and Partners respect the confidences of their clients they will not divulge any information to any person concerning their clients without the consent of the person under inquiry; Mildren and Partners do state they have never acted for any alleged member of the Ku Klux Klan since being retained generally by the Northern Land Council in January 1979.

(3)   No.

(4)   Prior to receiving any instructions from the Northern Land Council, Mildren and Partners acted in 1975 and 1976 for Opitz (Cooinda) Enterprises Pty Ltd and K. S. & C. J. Hill. In a hearing of the Ranger Uranium Environmental Inquiry Mr Mildren argued successfully that the Opitz (Cooinda) Enterprises 's leases were of a nature that precluded the leased land being treated as unalienated land; a similar argument in respect of K. S. & C. J. Hills 's interests was not accepted.