WGAR News: Interviews with Barb Shaw and Michael Anderson; speeches by Pat Anderson and Les Malezer

Submitted by WGAR - Working ... on Sat, 07/05/2011 - 1:39pm

Newsletter date: 7 May 2011

Contents:
* Speech by Pat Anderson, co-author of the "Little Children are Sacred" report, on the NT Intervention
* Interview with Barbara Shaw, of the Intervention Rollback Action Group, on the NT Intervention
* Justice for Aboriginal workers in the NT - Petition to be presented to Parliament next week
* Interview with Michael Anderson on the New Way Sovereignty Summit, now concluded
* Background to New Way Sovereignty Summit, last updated 6 May 11
* Speech by Les Malezer, Co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
* Background to National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
* Tracker: NSW Aboriginal Land Council launches new rights based magazine
* Koori Mail: Twenty years of publishing is available online
* ANTaR: Reducing over-imprisonment of Aboriginal peoples
* Other Northern Territory (NT) Intervention articles
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Other Aboriginal articles

SPEECH BY PAT ANDERSON, CO-AUTHOR OF THE "LITTLE CHILDREN ARE SACRED" REPORT, ON THE NT INTERVENTION:

- Analysis / Opinion

Crikey: Pat Anderson: intervention neither well-intentioned nor well-evidenced
http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/05/pat-anderson-intervention-neither-we...
5 May 11: "Last night Anderson gave a rare public speech criticising the NT intervention, a policy that apparently originated thanks to the report she co-authored. Anderson said the first recommendation of the report was the most crucial, which was: “It is critical that both [the Northern Territory and federal] governments commit to genuine consultation with Aboriginal people in designing initiatives for Aboriginal communities. [to address child sexual abuse and neglect].” The following is an edited extract from Anderson’s speech at the Coalition for Research to Improve Aboriginal Health conference in Sydney this morning."

- News

Australian: Intervention 'based on ignorance': Anderson
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/intervention-based-on-ignora...
6 May 11: "Pat Anderson, one of the two authors of the Little Children are Sacred report to the NT government in 2007, told a conference in Sydney yesterday the intervention was "based on ignorance and prejudice", and ignored the report's central recommendation to consult indigenous people. As a result, most of the program was "deeply problematic", and even with the changes made after Labor's 2007 election victory, the policy "adds to the sense of disempowerment and stress many (indigenous people) already feel"."

INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA SHAW, OF THE INTERVENTION ROLLBACK ACTION GROUP, ON THE NT INTERVENTION:

- Audio

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let's Talk - Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
19 Apr 11: "Barbara Shaw: Tiga Bayles spoke with Barbara Shaw. They spoke about the Northern Territory Intervention."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2011-04-19-76541.mp3

JUSTICE FOR ABORIGINAL WORKERS IN THE NT - PETITION TO BE PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT NEXT WEEK:

- Media Releases

Rachel Siewert: Greens seek jobs with justice
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-release/greens-seek...
5 May 11: "The Australian Greens continue to pressure the Government to act on failings in its flagship Indigenous housing program SIHIP, which was meant to be a key plank of the NT Intervention.
Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues has led calls for the Government to end the failing NT intervention, raising serious concerns about the treatment of Aboriginal workers involved in SIHIP.
Senator Siewert will address the Jobs with Justice rally in Sydney today and present a petition to Parliament next week calling for back-pay for Aboriginal workers who believed they would receive real wages for the hours they worked and who now feel misled and exploited.
"SIHIP was supposed to have an inbuilt Aboriginal employment scheme, yet reports suggest that CDEP and work for the dole programs are being used instead," Senator Siewert said today.
"This means there are instances of people undertaking full-time skilled work who are not receiving appropriate income in return. In some cases Centrelink payments are being used, half of which are then quarantined through the Government’s income management regime." [said Senator Siewert]"

Stop the Intervention: Town camp leader speaks in Sydney: Stop the Intervention, Justice for Aboriginal workers
http://stoptheintervention.org/jobs-with-justice-cdep/media-release/town...
4 May 11: "Barbara Shaw, a town camp leader from Alice Springs, will speak out in Sydney on Thursday May 5 against recent calls for a "second Intervention". ...
The rally will launch a petition sponsored by Unions NT and the CFMEU demanding back pay for Aboriginal people who were paid on the BasicsCard while doing renovations for the $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP). ...
Greens Senator Rachel Siewert will present the petition to parliament next week. More than 3000 people have signed, from unionists on construction sites in Sydney to residents of remote Aboriginal communities. ...
Barbara Shaw said, "Reforms to Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) introduced with the Intervention have taken away thousands of jobs, destroyed community services and left our people working for quarantined Centrelink payments. It's a return to the mission days where our people are being used as cheap labour - working for rations""

- Media Release about the rally

Stop the Intervention: NT Aboriginal community leaders and CFMEU back Sydney rally
http://stoptheintervention.org/jobs-with-justice-cdep/media-release/nt-a...
5 May 11: "Community leaders from Amoonguna in Central Australia and the Darwin office of the CFMEU are supporting a petition against exploitative working conditions under the NT Intervention being launched at a rally today in Sydney. ...
Marie Ellis, President of the Amoonguna Community Council said: "When SIHIP came to town we were told there would be fulltime jobs with good wages, but instead we were ripped off and left unemployed. It is another slap in the face from the government." ...
Mick Huddy, CFMEU organiser in Darwin said: "Aboriginal workers in the Northern Territory who were engaged on building upgrades under the federally funded SIHIP program were paid less than half of the Award which is completely unacceptable. No worker should be exploited in this way and the CFMEU stands by these workers and calls for them to be back paid every cent plus interest."
Marilyn Dixon from Amoonguna was part of a team of residents working on a CDEP project renovating an old community clinic and houses in Amoonguna under SIHIP. Ms Dixon said, "I was working with a team of ladies from 8am - 3pm each day. We were cleaning, stripping paint, painting floods, moving furnitire, removing old kitchens. I thought we would be getting good pay, but they kept me on the BasicsCard.""

- Audio about the rally

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio News 06-05-2011
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-news-06-05-2011
6 May 11: "Strong support for Aboriginal workers in the Northern Territory following union claims that those employed to do work under the Federally funded SIHIP housing program were paid less than half the award rate."

- News about the rally

Koori Mail: Shaw to speak at Sydney rally
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php
5 May 11: "BARBARA Shaw, a town camp leader from Alice Springs, will speak out in Sydney today against recent calls for a 'second Intervention'. A coalition of unions, the Greens and Aboriginal rights groups are staging the rally, highlighting gross breaches of Aboriginal workers rights under the NT Intervention. The rally will take place at 12pm today outside the office of Indigenous employment Minister Mark Arbib."

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ANDERSON ON THE NEW WAY SOVEREIGNTY SUMMIT, NOW CONCLUDED:

- Audio

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let's Talk - Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
3 May 11: "Michael Anderson: Tiga Bayles spoke with Tent Embassy founder and Activist, Michael Anderson."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2011-05-03-87848.mp3

BACKGROUND TO NEW WAY SOVEREIGNTY SUMMIT, LAST UPDATED 6 MAY 11:

- Event

Indymedia Australia: New Way Sovereignty Summit, Canberra 22-25 April (Easter Weekend)
http://indymedia.org.au/new-way-sovereignty-summit-canberra-22-25-april-...

SPEECH BY LES MALEZER, CO-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES:

- Speech

SBS Audio and Language: Aboriginal:
The Controversial Speech By Congress Co-Chair Les Malezer
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/163041/t...
4 May 11: "The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples Under Fire Before It Even Begins Its Work
The words were hardly out of his mouth before the attacks began. Les Malezer, newly-elected Co-Chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples caused a storm after making his views on the Northern Territory Intervention known, during his acceptance speech. ...
Did his speech warrant the attacks on the Congress before it has begun its work? What do you think?"

- Audio interview

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let's Talk - Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
21 Apr 11: "Les Melzer: Tiga Bayles spoke with Les Melzer, Co-chair of the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2011-04-21-78062.mp3

See these other interviews:

The Wire: Indigenous activist Les Malezer to co-chair National Congress of Australia's First Peoples
[scroll down page] http://www.thewire.org.au/daydetail.aspx?SearchDay=2011-04-20
20 Apr 11

ABC PM: Indigenous congress head defends organisation
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2011/s3202821.htm
28 Apr 11

- News

Koori Mail: Congress co-chairs appeal for a fair go
[scroll down page] http://www.koorimail.com/index.php?page=Current+Edition
4 May 11: "THE first elected co-chairs of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples have appealed for a fair go amid criticism from some Indigenous leaders. Les Malezer and Jody Broun both told the Koori Mail the fledgling Congress had the potential to reshape a better future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. But its first major goal would be to raise its profile and increase its membership base to become as representative as possible."

BACKGROUND TO NATIONAL CONGRESS OF AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PEOPLES:

WGAR News: Proposed national Indigenous body (29 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/290809-un-expert-calls-nt-intervent...

WGAR News: More media responses to proposed national Indigenous body (31 Aug 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/310809-more-media-responses-to-un-e...

WGAR News: Still more media responses to proposed national Indigenous body (3 Sep 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/3-sep-2009-governments-review-of-ab...

WGAR News: Proposed National Indigenous Representative Body (22 Sep 09)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/22-sep-2009-ampilatwatja-anti-inter...

WGAR News: New Way Summit delegates unanimously reject government sponsored Rep body (31 Jan 10)
http://wgar.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/new-way-summit-delegates-unanimousl...

WGAR News: Proposed National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples (2 Feb 10)
[scroll down page] http://wgar.wordpress.com/2010/02/02/02022010-national-day-of-action-sat...

WGAR News: New National Congress of Australia's First Peoples (9 May 10)
http://www.indymedia.org.au/2010/05/08/wgar-news-new-national-congress-o...

WGAR News: Co-Chairs of National Congress of Australia's First Peoples elected (21 Apr 11)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/04/21/wgar-news-elders-speak-out-on-the-nor...

WGAR News: National Congress of Australia's First Peoples (24 Apr 11)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/04/24/wgar-news-two-urgent-petitions-on-the...

WGAR News: National Congress of Australia's First Peoples (29 Apr 11)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/04/29/darwin-gathering-for-aboriginal-peopl...

WGAR News: Les Malezer defends National Congress of Australia's First Peoples (30 Apr 11)
[scroll down page] http://indymedia.org.au/2011/04/30/wgar-news-keep-the-poison-out-of-muck...

TRACKER: NSW ABORIGINAL LAND COUNCIL LAUNCHES NEW RIGHTS BASED MAGAZINE:

- New Website

The Tracker magazine
http://www.thetracker.com.au/main.html?src=%2F
"NSW Aboriginal Land Council launches new rights based publication
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council has launched a new monthly rights-based magazine called Tracker. The publication, with an initial print run of 35,000 copies, is being distrbuted throughout the nation via newsagenices, plus to the homes of every one of the 20,000-plus members of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council network. ... And as you'd expect, you'll soon be able to get all the Tracker news online - thetracker.com.au is currently under construction, and should be ready to go live in June 2011. Until then, we hope you'll consider subcribing to the print edition of Tracker - it's just $39.95 PER YEAR and gives the most comprehensive behind-the-news coverage of Indigenous affairs in the nation."

- Audio

Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane
Let's Talk - Indigenous presented talkback:
http://989fm.com.au/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29
20 Apr 11: "Chris Graham: Tiga Bayles spoke with Chris Graham Managing Editor of Tracker Magazine, former editor and founder of the National Indigenous Times newspaper and former Journalist for the New South Whales Aboriginal Land Council. They spoke about the new Tracker Magazine."
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasting/audio/98fm-podcast-2011-04-20-71151.mp3

KOORI MAIL: TWENTY YEARS OF PUBLISHING IS AVAILABLE ONLINE:

Koori Mail online archive is available at this link: http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/koorimail/

The Koori Mail Online Collection
http://www.aiatsis.gov.au/koorimail/
"The story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia is a big one, and important for our nation. That it has been able to be told for 20 years and through 500 editions of the Koori Mail is a matter of enormous pride and privilege for my Bundjalung people. The Koori Mail’s first edition was just 24 pages, all black and white (except for the masthead), and read by about 25,000 people. Today, the newspaper averages close to 100 pages, is alive with colour, and reaches more than 100,000 readers right around Australia every fortnight. ... The Koori Mail Board is delighted that, with the help of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), we are now able to bring that story to life in digital form. It is our gift to the nation." Russell Kapeen, Bundjalung man, Chairman, Koori Mail (since 1995), Chairman, Kurrachee Co-operative

- News

Indymedia Australia: Twenty years of iconic Indigenous newspaper goes online and global
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/05/04/twenty-years-of-iconic-indigenous-new...
4 May 11: "Twenty years – more than 35,000 pages – of an Australian publishing icon will be available online from this week, thanks to a unique project undertaken by the nation’s premier Indigenous research organisation. The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in Canberra has partnered with the Koori Mail to digitise the newspaper’s back archive*. The massive online collection will be officially launched in a special ceremony in Canberra tonight, also marking publication of the Koori Mail’s 500th edition."

PSNews: Koori Mail delivers for online research
http://www.psnews.com.au/Page_psn263f6.html
"The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) has completed a unique program of digitising 20 years of indigenous news and placing it all online. More than 35,000 pages of the weekly Koori Mail newspaper have been developed into a collection by AIATSIS and posted on the internet. The collection features two decades of stories, photos and cartoons published in the Koori Mail dating back to the very first edition in May 1991, and will be launched this Saturday (7 May) on the occasion of its 500th edition."

ANTaR: REDUCING OVER-IMPRISONMENT OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES:

- Media Release

ANTaR - Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation:
New report confirms reducing over-imprisonment is critical to close the gap
http://www.antar.org.au/new_report_confirms_reducing_over_imprisonment_i...
5 May 11: "The National Director of ANTaR says a report released today confirms the urgent need for governments to reduce the disproportionate number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being imprisoned.
Jacqueline Phillips says the latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows the imprisonment rate of Indigenous Australians has increased by more than 50 per cent over the last decade.
"While ANTaR applauds the commitment by governments to reduce the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in areas such as employment, education and life expectancy, it is impossible to close the gap in these areas while the numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in our prisons continues to skyrocket," Ms Phillips said.
"It is simply outrageous that Indigenous Australians comprise more than a quarter of all people in prison, when they are just 2.5% of the total population."

ANTaR’s National Call to Action is available at this link: http://www.antar.org.au/sites/default/files/Call%20to%20action%20to%20re...

See:

WGAR News: Joint National Call to Action to reduce imprisonment of Indigenous people (16 Apr 11)
http://indymedia.org.au/2011/04/16/wgar-news-joint-national-call-to-acti...

- Audio

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio News 06-05-2011
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-news-06-05-2011
6 May 11: "Calls for Governments to reduce the disproportionate imprisonment rate of Indigenous Australians following the latest report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare which shows numbers have increased by more than 50 per cent over the last decade."

- News

Ninemsn: Indigenous prison rates jump by 52pc
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8245436/indigenous-prison-rates-jump...
4 May 11: "Indigenous imprisonment rates have jumped by more than 50 per cent over the past decade, with a report showing they now account for a quarter of the prison population.The incarceration level climbed in a decade which started with the Sydney Harbour Bridge reconciliation walk and included an apology to the stolen generations."

OTHER NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION ARTICLES:

- Audio

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
Ned Hargraves on CAAMA radio
http://caama.com.au/17110
5 May 11: "Walpiri man Ned Hargraves tells CAAMA radio about how his people continue to struggle with the Northern Territory Intervention."

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio News 05-05-2011
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-news-05-05-2011
5 May 11: "The Central Land Council has welcomed the move to take away large blue signs put up on Aboriginal land and Community Living Areas by the Australian Government during the intervention in 2007."

Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio News 04-05-2011
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-news-04-05-2011
4 May 11: "The Australian Greens are calling for an end to talk by the Federal Opposition leader Tony Abbott for a ‘new intervention’ and short term strategies that would come with this."

- Analysis / Opinion

Eureka Street: Eyeballing injustice
http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=26042
1 May 11: "Remember the Northern Territory Intervention of 2007. The Howard Government regularly trotted out Noel Pearson as a respected Aboriginal leader as a supporter of this intervention. And yet one month ago, Noel Pearson finally distinguished his own North Queensland Intervention from the NT proposal. ... Once again to quote Noel Pearson: ... The difference from the (Northern) Territory is that the Cape York scheme encourages community members to take up their responsibilities. If people are being responsible, they are not affected by income management." Frank Brennan

- News

Catholic Leader: Jobs part of justice for indigenous people
http://www.catholicleader.com.au/news.php/top-stories/jobs-part-of-justi...
8 May 11: "A BISHOP and the head of a ministry to Aboriginal Catholics have attacked the Federal Government's "one shoe fits all approach" to solving problems in remote Aboriginal communities, particularly as regards the Northern Territory intervention. Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome and executive officer of Sydney archdiocese's Aboriginal Catholic Ministry Graeme Mundine have also criticised the dismantling of the Community Development Employment Program (CDEP), seeing the decision as contributing to problems in remote indigenous communities."

ABC Alice Springs: Signs can go 'by request'
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/05/05/3208735.htm
5 May 11: "The controversial blue signs banning alcohol and pornography in prescribed areas are no longer 'legally required', but the government has put the onus on Aboriginal communities to request their removal in writing. ... Central Land Council's David Ross says resentment from the Aboriginal community has not abated in the four years the signs have been in place. "They've been a running sore since the Intervention, people felt it criminalised them and it made them feel deeply shamed," he said."

Australian: 700 abort NT income scheme
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/abort-nt-income-scheme/story...
5 May 11: "MORE than 700 people in the Northern Territory have pulled out of voluntary income-management despite the financial bonuses built into the scheme, prompting welfare groups to declare there is an exodus from the federal government program."

BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:

Creative Spirits: Northern Territory Emergence Response (NTER) - "The Intervention": http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/politics/northern-terr...

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: Northern Territory National Emergency Response: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention

STICS (Stop the Intervention Collective Sydney): http://stoptheintervention.org/

Crikey - NT Intervention: http://www.crikey.com.au/topic/nt-intervention/

The Greens: Rachel Siewert: Northern Territory Intervention: http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/category/issues/indigenous-rights...

IRAG (Intervention Rollback Action Group): Mparntwe - Alice Springs: http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/

Jobs with Justice: http://jobswithjustice.wordpress.com/

MAIC (Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective): http://maicollective.blogspot.com/

ANTaR (Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation) - NT intervention: http://www.antar.org.au/issues_and_campaigns/nt_intervention

'concerned Australians': Without Justice there can be no Reconciliation: http://www.concernedaustralians.com.au/

New Matilda - northern territory intervention: http://newmatilda.com/tag/northern-territory-intervention

Amnesty International Australia: Looking back at the Northern Territory Intervention: http://www.amnesty.org.au/indigenous-rights/comments/24460/

Treaty Republic: Northern Territory Intervention: http://treatyrepublic.net/search/node/Northern%20Territory%20Intervention

Defending Indigenous Rights: http://defendingindigenousrights.wordpress.com/

Intervention walk-off's Blog: http://interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com/

Australian Human Rights Commission: Northern Territory ‘Emergency Response’ intervention: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/intervention/index.html

FAIRA; Human Rights Law Resource Centre; NACLC: Australia’s compliance with CERD - Fact Sheet 2: Northern Territory Intervention: http://www.hrlrc.org.au/files/Fact-Sheet-2-NT-Intervention.pdf

Green Left: Northern Territory intervention: myths and facts: http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/39732

WGAR (Working Group for Aboriginal Rights): http://wgar.info/