Newsletter date: 20 July 2012
Contents:
* Tracker: NSW Labor condemns federal party policy on income management
* Media Release: Campaign Coalition welcomes the NSW ALP conference’s rejection of compulsory income management
* Eva Cox: The ALP Opponents Of Income Management
* Darren Coyne: Ten more years of government intervention
* More 'Stronger Futures' Legislation related articles
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* SBS Living Black: No Intervention For Toomelah [NSW]
* NIT: Abandoned Toomelah pleads for assistance
* Other articles
* TRACKER: NSW LABOR CONDEMNS FEDERAL PARTY POLICY ON INCOME MANAGEMENT
- News
newsTracker: NSW Labor condemns federal party policy on income management
http://tracker.org.au/2012/07/nsw-labor-condemns-federal-party-policy-on...
14 Jul 12: "NATIONAL: In a sign that the political cracks are starting to appear, the NSW Labor Party’s annual state conference has passed a resolution calling on federal Labor to abandon compulsory income management across the nation, and instead direct funding to boost social services and job creation. The NSW branch of the Australian Labor Party is holding is annual state conference at the Town Hall in Sydney. ... " Chris Graham, Walkley Award and Human Rights award winning writer, managing Editor of Tracker
[Includes text of the resolution.]
* MEDIA RELEASE: CAMPAIGN COALITION WELCOMES THE NSW ALP CONFERENCE'S REJECTION OF COMPULSORY INCOME MANAGEMENT
- Media Release
Campaign Coalition welcomes the NSW ALP conference’s rejection of compulsory income management
Indymedia Australia: http://indymedia.org.au/2012/07/17/campaign-coalition-welcomes-the-nsw-a...
17 Jul 12: "The campaign coalition - Say No to Government Income Management, Not in Bankstown, Not Anywhere – today warmly congratulated the NSW ALP State Conference for its historic weekend resolution calling on the Federal Government to halt the imposition of compulsory income management in Bankstown or in any community.
"We applaud the strong and passionate speeches for justice and good policy made by ASU Secretary Sally McManus, and AWU State Secretary Russ Collison in moving and seconding this resolution, to which there was no opposition. The trade union movement, including Unions NSW, has played such a commendable role with this resolution", said Ms Randa Kattan, Executive Director of Arab Council Australia and spokesperson for the campaign coalition.
The NSW ALP State Conference called for a revision of the 'Stronger Futures' legislation and repeal of current provisions in the Social Security Act that facilitate income management. ... "
* EVA COX: THE ALP OPPONENTS OF INCOME MANAGEMENT
- Analysis / Opinion
New Matilda: The ALP Opponents Of Income Management
http://newmatilda.com/2012/07/18/alp-opponents-income-management
18 Jul 12: "The NSW ALP conference voted against the expansion of income management last week. How did a major policy split between federal and state Labor pass unnoticed, asks Eva Cox.
What if the following motions, passed unanimously at the recent NSW ALP conference, had dealt with a blatantly economic issue like exchange rates or a tax rather than differences over social programs for disadvantaged people? You might have heard about them in the news if they had." By Eva Cox
[Includes text of the motions.]
* DARREN COYNE: TEN MORE YEARS OF GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
- News
The Guardian: Ten more years of government intervention
http://www.cpa.org.au/guardian/2012/1556/05-ten-more-years-of-government...
18 Jul 12: "Aboriginal people living in prescribed communities across the Northern Territory face another ten years of government intervention in their lives. The Stronger Futures bills were passed by the Senate the week before last, and then ratified by the House of Representatives. ... Labor and the Opposition joined together to pass the laws with minor amendments, despite attempts by the Greens to have the laws thrown out, or heavily altered." By Darren Coyne
* MORE 'STRONGER FUTURES' LEGISLATION RELATED ARTICLES:
- News
ABC: Intervention has been good for Territory, says PM
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-18/gillard-on-benefits-of-nt-interven...
18 Jul 12: "Prime Minister Julia Gillard says the Northern Territory intervention has done great things for remote Aboriginal communities. Many measures of the Federal Government intervention in the Territory have been extended by the Government's Stronger Futures legislation. Some senior Indigenous leaders say Labor will lose votes to the Greens as a result. But Ms Gillard says children are safer and better educated because of the policy."
* BACKGROUND TO 'STRONGER FUTURES' NEW NT INTERVENTION LAWS:
Last updated: 16 July 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-nt...
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
Last updated: 4 July 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory-...
* SBS LIVING BLACK: NO INTERVENTION FOR TOOMELAH [NSW]
- Audio Interview
SBS Living Black: No Intervention For Toomelah
By Michelle Lovegrove
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/aboriginal/highlight/page/id/224454/t...
18 Jul 12: "NSW Government says a knee jerk reaction to crisis won't work. ... People in Toomelah live with grinding poverty, a lack of reliable basic services, and some media now report abuse of children - as being just some of the issues the community faces. The community ran into more problems when the Federal Government axed the Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) in 2009. ... But the Federal Government cannot enact its Northern Territory-style intervention in Toomelah. And the New South Wales Government says that type of policy will not work."
See:
WGAR News: "a bad government policy that ... has set the [Toomelah] community back decades" Tracker (6 Jul 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/07/06/wgar-news-a-bad-government-policy-tha...
* NIT: ABANDONED TOOMELAH PLEADS FOR ASSISTANCE
- News
National Indigenous Times: Abandoned Toomelah pleads for assistance
http://www.nit.com.au/your-say.html
http://www.nit.com.au/news/1469-abandoned-toomelah-pleads-for-assistance...
19 Jul 12: "By National Indigenous Times reporter Geoff Bagnall. The closure by the Federal Government of the Community Development Employment Program gutted Toomelah and has been a major contributing factor to the issues affecting the community, a former resident and the NSW Aboriginal Land Council has claimed and another former resident claims child sex abusers have been identified to police but no charges have been laid. Residents of the community have been forced to live in third world conditions amid claims ... "
See:
WGAR News: "a bad government policy that ... has set the [Toomelah] community back decades" Tracker (6 Jul 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/07/06/wgar-news-a-bad-government-policy-tha...
* OTHER ARTICLES:
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: Closing the Gap report shows focus needs to be maintained
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7389-closing-the-gap-report-show...
17 Jul 12: "The Chair of the COAG Reform Council says an annual report on the progress of 'Closing the Gap' efforts in health and education shows very little improvement. Paul McClintock says the report shows the overall death rate of Indigenous Australians will need to fall faster to reach the 2031 target. The report also finds school attendance for Indigenous students got worse in every jurisdiction. Mr McClintock says frequently assessing 'Closing the Gap' efforts will help reach the targets."
National Indigenous Radio Service: Too much at stake to rush referendum: Dodson
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7390-too-much-at-stake-to-rush-r...
17 Jul 12: "The Australian National University's head of Indigenous Studies, Professor Mick Dodson, says he supports a proposal to include a ban on racial discrimination in the Constitution. Professor Dodson says the Government should accept the recommendations of an expert panel on constitutional recognition which includes the recognition of the prior occupation of First Nation Australians. It also recommended the removal of two racist sections and the creation of new sections banning discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity."
Canberra Times: Dodson shows support for constitutional ban on racial discrimination
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/dodson-shows-supp...
12 Jul 12: "FORMER Australian of the year Mick Dodson has thrown his support behind a proposal to insert a ban on racial discrimination into the constitution, declaring such a move would ''cast out forever the dead legal and policy corpse of White Australia''. But he warned against rushing to a referendum, because defeat would ''set reconciliation on its arse'' and cause damage to relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians that would take decades to repair."
- Audio Interviews
Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane:
Emma Sydenham
http://www.989fm.com.au/category/podcasts/
19 Jul 12: "Policy and Research Manager, Secretariat of National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care"
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/emma-sydenham/
Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane:
Gerry Georgatos
http://www.989fm.com.au/category/podcasts/
17 Jul 12: "Managing Consultant in Education, Training, Advocacy and Human Rights Practice"
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/gerry-georgatos-8/
- Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/am-17.7.12-pw.mp3
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
17 Jul 12: "The founder of Australia’s first Aborignal political party has called for the establishment of an Embassy in either Alice Springs or Darwin.. with an Aboriginal Ambassador."
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/am-16-07-update.mp3
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
16 Jul 12: "NAIDOC events across the country celebrate the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Aboriginal Tent embassy in Canberra, Michael Anderson the sole serving rights campaigner to set up the protest says "not much has changed.""
ABC PM: Aboriginal elders ask for income management
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2012/s3547788.htm
17 Jul 12: "In the Northern Territory Intervention, now called Stronger Futures, welfare payments are partially quarantined for spending only on essentials like food and rent. Many Indigenous leaders and human rights activists across the nation have called the income management regime racist. But one Aboriginal group in South Australia's very remote northwest is now pleading to be included. It's a move being led by the senior women of the APY lands, now being supported by the local Lands Council."
- Video
ABC 7.30: Aboriginal group defies criticism with income management plea
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2012/s3547939.htm
17 Jul 12: "Despite income management being criticised by Indigenous and human rights groups, the senior women of one Aboriginal group are asking to be included. ... The Federal Government's decision to extend the Northern Territory Intervention has provoked furious debate. Critics say it's racist and violates Indigenous human rights and 43,000 Australians have signed a petition calling for it to end. But in the remote APY lands of South Australia, female Indigenous leaders are calling for a new intervention."
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About WGAR News:
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/30/about-wgar-news-working-group-for-abo...
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