Newsletter date: 29 June 2012
Contents:
* avaaz.org community petitions: Putting Australia to the human rights test
* Congress letter to Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
* Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights: Chair's Statement to the House of Representatives
* Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service calls for human rights scrutiny on income management national rollout
* 'concerned Australians': Stronger Futures or human rights: will FAHCSIA remain closed?
* ACM Sydney: The ACM endorses requests to send Stronger Futures for scrutiny by Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
* UnitingJustice: Human rights check is a vital step towards dignity for Indigenous Australians
* CRA: CRA urges for an examination of Stronger Futures legislation's compatibility with human rights
* Emilija Beljic, St Vincent de Paul Society: Who's afraid of human rights?
* Greens Rachel Siewert: Human rights examination of parenting and intervention laws is an important step
* WGAR considers Stronger Futures legislation should face Human Rights scrutiny
* Human Rights Scutiny News
* Australian: NT Aborignal groups urge customary law rethink
* More 'Stronger Futures' Legislation related articles
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* AVAAZ.ORG COMMUNITY PETITIONS: PUTTING AUSTRALIA TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS TEST
- Petition
avaaz.org community petitions: Putting Australia to the human rights test
http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/Indigenous_Human_Rights
22 Jun 12: "To Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin
We urge you to allow the Parliamentary Committee on Humans Rights to examine control measures proposed in the the Stronger Futures Bill.
The legislation will impose control over Aboriginal communities in the NT for the next ten years and only by subjecting the measures to the scrutiny of the Parliamentary Committee will you ensure that the Government's policies comply with international human rights standards."
* CONGRESS LETTER TO PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE:
- Letter
National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples:
Congress letter to Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
http://nationalcongress.com.au/congress-letter-to-parliamentary-human-ri...
20 Jun 12: "The Chairman of the Joint Committee on Human Rights, Labor MP Harry Jenkins has told parliament that the Committee had received correspondence from Congress asking the Committee to examine the Stronger Futures bills for compatibility with human rights under Section 7(a) of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act (2011).
Read the full text of the Congress letter here: http://nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/CongressStatem...
Congress also has an ongoing electronic letter campaign calling for the bills to be properly scrutinised to ensure that they comply with Australian human rights standards.
Check it out at this link: http://congressmob.good.do/stoplisten/bnmb/ ."
- Related News
Macklin must justify human rights: groups
newsTracker: http://tracker.org.au/2012/06/macklin-must-justify-human-rights-groups/
9 News: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8486592
20 Jun 12: "NATIONAL: A parliamentary committee has demanded the government justify any human rights limitations an extension of the Northern Territory intervention imposes on remote Aboriginal communities. Chairman of the joint committee on human rights, Labor MP Harry Jenkins, on Wednesday told parliament that members had received correspondence from the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples asking them to examine the Stronger Futures bills now before the Senate. The committee was working out how it would respond to the request, he said. ... "
See:
Background to National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples
Last updated: 5 May 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/05/background-to-the-national-congress-o...
* PARLIAMENTARY JOINT COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS: CHAIR'S STATEMENT TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- Statement
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights: Chair's Statement to the House of Representatives
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committee...
20 Jun 12: "On behalf of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights I supply the House with a report on the committee's action. Members will recall that the committee is established under the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011 and was appointed in March this year.
The committee has been established as part of a concerted effort to enhance the understanding of, and respect for, human rights issues and to ensure the appropriate recognition of human rights in the legislative process. ...
The second piece of correspondence is from the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples and asks the committee to examine the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bills. ... "
- Index
Senate Committees: Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate_Committee...
"* About the Committee
* Committee Membership
* Committee Activity
* Statement by the Chair on behalf of the committee made in the House of Representatives on 20 June 2012.
* VICTORIAN ABORIGINAL LEGAL SERVICE CALLS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SCRUTINY ON INCOME MANAGEMENT NATIONAL ROLLOUT:
- Media Release
Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service calls for human rights scrutiny on income management national rollout
http://vals.org.au/news/post/media-release-victorian-aboriginal-legal-se...
18 Jun 12: "The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) has called on Attorney-General Nicola Roxon to refer the Stronger Futures and Social Security Legislation Amendment Bills to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights.
With both Bills expected to pass through the Senate today, VALS CEO, Wayne Muir, is concerned that without the Committee’s application of human rights scrutiny to these Bills, the measures contained within them are destined to fail Government and the community.
"Today represents a missed opportunity for Government to display strong commitment to human rights in Australia. VALS has joined others in calling on the Attorney-General to utilise her powers of referral to the Committee. Those calls have gone unanswered,' said Mr Muir.
In correspondence with the Attorney-General, Mr Muir has also noted the lack of evidence warranting the nation-wide rollout of income management. ... "
* 'CONCERNED AUSTRALIANS': STRONGER FUTURES OR HUMAN RIGHTS: WILL FAHCSIA REMAIN CLOSED?
- Media Release
'concerned Australians': Stronger Futures or human rights: will FAHCSIA remain closed?
Faith Doing Justice: http://www.faithdoingjustice.com.au/docs/2012/06/FDJStronger22Jun12.pdf
ISX: http://www.isx.org.au/forums/read.php?18,10018
22 Jun 12: "The National Congress of Australia's First Peoples has requested the proposed Stronger Futures legislation package be examined by the newly created Parliamentary Joint committee on Human Rights.
Harry Jenkins MP, former speaker of the House and Chair of the committee on Human Rights described the role of the committee, "to examine and report to Parliament on the compatibility of bills and legislative instruments with Austrlalia's human rights obligations under seven core human rights treaties specified in section three of the Act. The committee is able to examine existing legislation and conduct broad inquiries into matters relating to human rights as referred to it by the Attorney-General."
Two days ago Mr Jenkins advised the Parliament the "... committee would like to afford the Minister [Jenny Macklin] the opportunity to provide her assessment of the policy objectives of the [Stronger Futures] bills against Australia's human rights obligations and clarify for the committee the justification for any limitations on rights that the bills will impose." ... "
- Related Audio Interview
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
Michelle Harris from Concerened Australians
http://caama.com.au/michelle-harris-from-concerened-australians
28 Jun 12: "The Senate is due to vote on the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Bill any day now. The Stronger Futures legislation has been labeled by many as a continuation in the Northern Territory intervention and a large number of people have been expressing concern about the Stronger Futures Bill... with a loud voice calling for the Bill to be examined by the newly created Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights. The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples has requested this formally in a letter to the human rights committee...and the committee’s chair Harry Jenkins raised this letter and the request with Ms Macklin last week."
* ACM SYDNEY: THE ACM ENDORSES REQUESTS TO SEND STRONGER FUTURES FOR SCRUTINY BY PARLIAMENTARY HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE
- News
ACM Sydney: The ACM endorses requests to send Stronger Futures for scrutiny by Parliamentary Human Rights Committee
http://acmsydney.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/the-acm-endorses-requests-to-s...
20 Jun 12: "The Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Sydney Archdiocese, congratulates the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights for questioning the compatibility of the Stronger Futures Bills with Human Rights. The Committee was established in March this year to examine legislation to ensure that it is compatible with Human Rights and to report to Parliament. In a statement made to Parliament today, Chair, Harry Jenkins MP said that the Human Rights Committee has received a written request from the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples to examine the Stronger Futures Bills."
* UNITINGJUSTICE: HUMAN RIGHTS CHECK IS A VITAL STEP TOWARDS DIGNITY FOR INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
- News
UnitingJustice: Human rights check is a vital step towards dignity for Indigenous Australians
http://www.unitingjustice.org.au/justice-for-indigenous-australians/news...
20 Jun 12: "The Uniting Church in Australia has welcomed the call by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights to investigate the proposed Stronger Futures legislation. The National Director of UnitingJustice, Rev. Elenie Poulos, said that without amendment the legislation risks damaging another generation of the First Peoples and fails to uphold their rights. "The Stronger Futures legislation will see the discriminatory measures of the Intervention extended by up to a decade," said Rev. Poulos."
* CRA: CRA URGES FOR AN EXAMINATION OF STRONGER FUTURES LEGISLATION'S COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
- News
Catholic Religious Australia: CRA urges for an examination of Stronger Futures legislation's compatibility with human rights
http://catholicreligiousaustralia.org/index.php/2012/79-website/content/...
22 Jun 12: "Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) supports the call of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights to investigate whether the proposed Stronger Futures legislation complies with Australia’s obligation to human rights. The CRA’s justice network on 21 June released the following statement:
"Catholic Religious Australia joins with the many other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Church and community groups in asking the Federal Government to listen to and take heed of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights. It is questioning the compatibility of the Stronger Futures Bills with Human Rights." ... "
* EMILIJA BELJIC, ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: WHO'S AFRAID OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
- Analysis / Opinion
ABC The Drum Opinion: Who's afraid of human rights?
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4093582.html
27 Jun 12: "Human rights form part of the democratic process and serve to strengthen a democracy, demanding transparency in the legislative process and calling into account elected representatives when their political judgement falls short of expectations demanded by their citizens. ... Some days later a second group, the National Congress of Australia's First People, called on the committee to establish an inquiry into Stronger Futures legislation currently before the Senate. ... It's a sign of a robust democracy when civil society is given the opportunity to question draft legislation ... " Emilija Beljic, National Research Officer at St Vincent de Paul Society National Council office
* GREENS RACHEL SIEWERT: HUMAN RIGHTS EXAMINATION OF PARENTING AND INTERVENTION LAWS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP
- Media Release
Greens Rachel Siewert: Human rights examination of parenting and intervention laws is an important step
http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/human-righ...
20 Jun 12: " ... Senator Siewert has also welcomed news that the joint committee has asked Minister Jenny Macklin to advise them on the compatibility of the Stronger Futures legislation with Australia’s human rights obligations.
"Widespread concerns have been raised about the Intervention and the consultation processes that have been undertaken as part of Stronger Futures.
"This is especially true in regards to programs such as income management and SEAM, which could have discriminatory impacts on Aboriginal people.
"The Attorney General has the capacity to ask the Joint Committee on Human Rights to examine the Stronger Futures package and the Greens have written to Ms Roxon asking for this to occur, a process we regard as essential," Senator Siewert concluded."
* WGAR CONSIDERS STRONGER FUTURES LEGISLATION SHOULD FACE HUMAN RIGHT SCRUTINY
- Media Release
WGAR considers Stronger Futures legislation should face Human Rights scrutiny
WGAR: http://wgar.wordpress.com/2012/06/23/120622-working-group-for-aboriginal...
Indymedia Australia: http://indymedia.org.au/2012/06/22/wgar-considers-stronger-futures-legis...
22 Jun 12: " ... The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights condemns the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention and its proposed extension for ten years and expansion into other parts of Australia, through the proposed 'Stronger Futures' legislation.
The Working Group for Aboriginal Rights urges the Australian government to fully accept and respect the sovereign rights of Aboriginal Nations and Peoples and to cease their paternalistic actions towards Aboriginal people, who have successfully survived climatic and social change over millennia. Aboriginal people are capable of running their own lives and communities, but it is the lack of self-determination and the governments’ ruthless attempts to assimilate Aboriginal Peoples into 'one Australia', which is really the cause of the perceived 'problem'. ...
We urge that there is scrutiny of the Stronger Futures bills in order to bring them in line with the international Human Rights covenants and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples."
* HUMAN RIGHTS SCRUTINY NEWS:
- Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio Online News 26.06.12
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-online-news-26-06-12
26 Jun 12: "An Australian human rights campaigner has strengthened the call for the Stronger Futures Bill to be examined against Australia’s human rights obligations... warning if the Government does not comply with the request for this to happen, Australia can only be viewed in a negative way internationally."
- News
Australian: Extension of Libs' intervention 'vital for education'
http://m.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/extension-of-l...
29 Jun 12: "JENNY Macklin has denied that the government has a sinister desire to not subject its 10-year extension of the radical Northern Territory intervention to further scrutiny, arguing it does not breach Australia's human rights obligations. ... Deni Langman, a traditional owner of Uluru, wrote to all senators last night, pleading with them to vote against the bill. "I wonder how you will tell your grandchildren these atrocities you did to the first nations' people. If you will tell the truth to them. If you will finally say you are sorry for what you did, and mean it," he wrote."
Sky News: Day of mourning for cont NT intervention
http://www.skynews.com.au/national/article.aspx?id=766004&vId=
29 Jun 12: "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."
newsTracker: Roxon rejects Stronger Futures human rights test
http://tracker.org.au/2012/06/roxon-rejects-stronger-futures-human-right...
28 Jun 12: "NATIONAL: Attorney General Nicola Roxon will not refer the Gillard government’s Stronger Futures bills to a parliamentary committee on human rights. ... The laws, extending for a decade the NT intervention into Aboriginal communities begun under the Howard government, have been challenged by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Indigenous leaders who wanted a human rights test. Last week, a parliamentary human rights committee asked Ms Macklin to assess the policy objectives in light of Australia’s human rights obligations."
Australian: Anger over NT intervention scrutiny
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/anger-over-n...
28 Jun 12: "ATTORNEY-GENERAL Nicola Roxon has refused to subject Labor's 10-year extension of the radical Northern Territory intervention to her own, newly-created human rights parliamentary committee, angering the Greens and indigenous groups. ... "I have considered your request but believe on balance that I should not refer the Stronger Futures legislation to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights," she [Nicola Roxon] writes." Patricia Karvelas
SBS World News: Macklin defends NT intervention
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1663950/Macklin-defends-NT-intervention
28 Jun 12: "Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin insists laws to extend the federal government's intervention in the Northern Territory do not breach Australia's human rights obligations. ... The laws, extending for a decade the NT intervention into Aboriginal communities begun under the Howard government, have been challenged by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Amnesty International and indigenous leaders who wanted a human rights test."
* AUSTRALIAN: NT ABORIGINAL GROUPS URGE CUSTOMARY LAW RETHINK
- News
Australian: NT Aborignal groups urge customary law rethink
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/indigenous/nt-aborignal...
25 Jun 12: "THE Aboriginal Peak Organisations of the NT (APO NT) have urged the Gillard government to urgently reconsider the customary law provisions contained in the bill to extend the Northern Territory intervention by 10 years, which limit consideration of matters of customary law in relation to bail hearings and sentencing of Aboriginal people before the courts. APO has produced a briefing paper on customary law which argues that customary law has never been a defence to violent crimes and is rarely relied upon in court proceedings." Patricia Karvelas
* MORE 'STRONGER FUTURES' LEGISLATION RELATED ARTICLES:
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black: The Northern Territory Intervention Does Not Meet Legislative Requirements
By Marc Tong
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/221272/t...
25 Jun 12: "In 2007, 73 Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory were forced into Income Management that continues to this day. The decision allows Centrelink to retain and manage 50-70 per cent of a person's welfare payments. While many Aboriginal and non-Indigenous organisations have continued to campaign against Income Management, the government still refuses to budge. Now, the Commonwealth Ombudsman has found many decisions and processes that place and keep thousands of Aboriginal people on Income Management, did not meet legislative requirements."
- Video
ABC 7.30: Income management expansion gets mixed response
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3534360.htm
27 Jun 12: "From next week so called income management will be rolled out to five suburban centres across Australia. It's a controversial program that quarantines up to 70 per cent of welfare payments to some people. It first started in the Northern Territory intervention. The money can then only be used at approved stores for clothes, food, health and household items. Critics claim it stigmatises those in the program but a voluntary version of the scheme running in Western Australia is making some big inroads."
* BACKGROUND TO 'STRONGER FUTURES' NEW NT INTERVENTION LAWS:
Last updated: 22 June 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-nt...
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
Last updated: 24 May 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory-...
- - -
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