Govt 'disregards for human rights' on Intervention

29 Jun 2012, 4:33 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Labor and the opposition teamed up to pass the controversial laws in the Senate in the early hours of Friday morning after a marathon debate, which started early Thursday evening. (AAP)

Labor and the opposition teamed up to pass the controversial laws in the Senate in the early hours of Friday morning after a marathon debate, which started early Thursday evening. (AAP)

Amnesty International has joined a host of Aboriginal leaders in condemning legislation which continues the Northern Territory intervention for another 10 years.

Arnhem Land elder opposes Intervention

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The federal government has a blatant disregard for human rights and is engaging in the disempowerment of indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory, Amnesty International said a day after federal parliament passed legislation to continue the Northern Territory intervention for another decade.

Earlier, Aboriginal leaders have declared 'a day of mourning.'

Labor and the opposition teamed up to pass the controversial 'Stronger Futures' laws in the Senate in the early hours of Friday morning after a marathon debate, which started early Thursday evening.

The laws were amended to reduce the review period from seven to three years. "Aboriginal communities in the NT have told us time and again that top-down decisions imposed upon them are the wrong approach for tackling the challenges they face,” said Monica Morgan, Manager of Amnesty International’s Indigenous Rights Program.

Amnesty accused the government of not properly listening to indigenous territorians.

“The Government has regrettably ignored the massive public outcry from Aboriginal communities and advocates opposing these laws, including the Yolngu Nations Assembly, Alyawarr communities in Central Australia, and the Gurindji People of Daguragu and Kalkaringi.

GREENS FAIL TO AMEND LAWS

Attempts by the Greens to heavily amend the laws, including cutting the sunset clause from 10 to five years, were defeated.

The Greens accused the government of sneaking the laws through in the shadow of the media storm over asylum seekers on the final day before parliament's winter break.

Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said Labor was trashing its proud history in indigenous affairs, particularly the goodwill from former prime minister Kevin Rudd's apology and Paul Keating's Redfern speech.

Labor NT senator Trish Crossin, a former school teacher in remote communities, praised the controversial SEAM program that would work with families to get kids to attend school, with cutting welfare payments only as a last resort.

But she was scathing of provisions that stop a court taking into account customary law or cultural practices.

"We are making a very big mistake ... this is a backwards step," she said, adding she was considering referring this issue to a Senate inquiry.

Liberal senator Marise Payne said Labor had dropped the ball on overcoming indigenous disadvantage since the original intervention.

"The government is more focused on process rather than outcomes," she said.

Indigenous leader Dr Djiniyini Gondarra from East Arnhem Land and Rosalie Kunoth Monks from Central Australia have jointly declared a day of mourning for Aboriginal people following the passing of the laws.

"For those of us living in the Northern Territory the anguish of the past five years of intervention has been almost unbearable," Dr Djiniyini told AAP.

The package also expands income management for people on welfare to five trial sites outside the Top End. These are in Bankstown in NSW, Playford, South Australia, Shepparton, Victoria, and Rockhampton and Logan in Queensland. The program begins on July 1.

The United Nations Human Rights Commissioner, Amnesty International and indigenous leaders have raised concerns the laws breach Australia's international obligations.

The measures have been widely opposed by NT Aboriginal communities, which say they are racist and that they weren't consulted properly.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin released a human rights assessment of the laws on Thursday.

"The policy objectives of the bills are compatible with human rights because they advance some rights and to the extent they may limit any rights those limitation are reasonable, necessary and proportionate," she said.

Former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson said the government's use of special measures could fail a High Court challenge.

He said Ms Macklin's response was "entirely predictable" and maintained the consultation process had been a "travesty".

"They speak about these wonderful consultations, I guess if you say that often enough it sounds good, but in fact it isn't," he told AAP.

National Congress of Australia's First People spokeswoman Jody Broun was disappointed the government did not allow a parliamentary committee to subject the laws to a human rights test.

Australian Lawyers Alliance national president Greg Barns said the Stronger Futures laws were further disenfranchising indigenous communities.

The Intervention

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Your Comments

Disgraceful!

Becca - from Newcastle, 11 months ago

Mike J I think you'll find it pretty hard to offer workable solutions when your opinion is not asked for nor respected! The lack of community consultation & involvement in the planning and implementation of this 'intervention' goes against everything community services aims for. The whole issue is the top down approach, how can a bunch politicians in the ACT completely understand the needs & culture of the aboriginal communities in the NT?? They can't & they don't!! If this was put into place in a predominately white community (such as problem areas in Sydney) there would be massive outcry & public rejection of such policy! A sad day in our countries history! Such a massive & disgraceful step backwards at a time where the government had the opportunity to begin to set this right!

Interventionism

Jennifer - from Alice Springs, 11 months ago

I am living in the middle of Intervention Territory, and have seen the damage done to Aboriginal families and people by the insufferable government intrusion into their lives. The majority of Aboriginal people living in remote communities suffer from poor health and education services, poverty, and the inability of people who are making the decisions that affect their lives so profoundly to understand the positive aspects of Aboriginal cultural law. The answers do not lie in more bureaucracy.

Got a better idea?

mike j - from somewhere, 11 months ago

Aboriginal spokespeople criticise any form of intervention, yet offer no workable alternatives to managing the high levels of physical and sexual violence, drug abuse, and poverty in aboriginal communities. I'm all for adult self-determination, but it is aboriginal children who suffer the most. Now back to your regularly scheduled ignorant commentary from urban do-gooders and self-aggrandising organisations like Amnesty International.

Leave them alone

Emma - from QLD, 11 months ago

Can't we just leave them alone. They are not children. They are normal people who just want to live their lives in freedom.

Another Sorry coming Up

Peter - from QLD, 11 months ago

Come on... this is hardly democratic...and sets our nation up for needing to to sorry in the future. Please reconsider.

NT Intervention

Marg Whittle - from Castlemaine, 11 months ago

Jesus said 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you'. How would you feel if government imposed curfews, prohibition, imposed fines if your children failed to attain certain grades, to say nothing of grabbing your land? Would you tolerate such gross and demeaning attacks on your civil liberties? When Australians do nothing to prevent injustice or actively support it, against Indigenous communities, the colonial exploits and racism of the past are perpetuated.

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