Newsletter date: 18 May 2013
Contents:
* CAAMA: Anger over Giles' claim to "remove neglected Aboriginal children"
* CAAMA Video: Interview with Jackie Baxter of Stolen Generation and Families Aboriginal Corp re Mr Giles comments
* SBS Radionews Audio: Alarm over NT Indigenous adoption plan
* ABC Radio Australia Video: Indigenous adoption push prompts Stolen Generation fears
* SNAICC News: Chief Minister's solution on Aboriginal child protection short-sighted & wrong
* SBS World News Video: Alarm over NT plan on neglected Indigenous kids
* ABC Video: Adoptions 'only part of solution' for neglected Indigenous children
* Australian Times: Adoption an option for neglected Indigenous children
* NT News: I will remove neglected kids, says Chief
* Tracker: Aboriginal children are being left with neglectful parents: Giles
* Adelaide Now: Andrew Bolt: Listen to Giles on Aboriginal kids
* Other Northern Territory (NT) News
* CAAMA: ANGER OVER GILES' CLAIM TO "REMOVE NEGLECTED ABORIGINAL CHILDREN"
- News
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Anger over Giles' claim to "remove neglected Aboriginal children"
http://caama.com.au/anger-over-giles-claim-to-remove-neglected-aborigina...
15 May 13: "Shock and anger has been expressed across the Northern Territory at claims by Chief Minister Adam Giles that he will remove neglected Aboriginal children from their parents and place them in adopted homes if necessary. Mr Giles, the first Aboriginal man to lead a state or Territory government told the NT News that Governments had failed Aboriginal children because of fears they would be accused of creating a new Stolen Generation, but he would not be put off by this."
* CAAMA VIDEO: INTERVIEW WITH JACKIE BAXTER OF STOLEN GENERATION AND FAMILIES ABORIGINAL CORP RE MR GILES COMMENTS
- Video
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association: Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles supports removing neglected children
http://caama.com.au/northern-territory-chief-minister-adam-giles-support...
15 May 13: "CEO of Central Australian Stolen Generation and Families Aboriginal Corporation, Jackie Baxter speaks to Pam Reilly about Mr Giles recent comments."
- Related Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
http://caama.com.au/radio#tabs-6
http://caama.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/am-17-05.mp3
17 May 13: "One of the Northern Territory’s most experienced Aboriginal politicians has defended Chief Minister Adam Giles claim that he is prepared to remove neglected Aboriginal children and place them in adopted homes."
* SBS RADIONEWS AUDIO: ALARM OVER NT INDIGENOUS ADOPTION PLAN
- Audio
SBS Radionews Podcasts: Alarm over NT Indigenous adoption plan
By Aileen Phillips
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/267164/Alarm-o...
14 May 13: "A Northern Territory Indigenous group says it's been startled to hear a plan to send neglected and abused Indigenous children into adoptive homes. Mr Giles, [NT's Chief Minister, Adam Giles] who is Indigenous, claims previous governments have avoided the topic and failed to protect children for fear of creating another Stolen Generation. Vicki-Lee Knowles is the Chief Executive of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation. She told Aileen Phillips there are a number of alarming elements to the plan."
* ABC RADIO AUSTRALIA VIDEO: INDIGENOUS ADOPTION PUSH PROMPTS STOLEN GENERATION FEARS
- Video
ABC Radio Australia: Indigenous adoption push prompts Stolen Generation fears
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2013-05-14/indigenous-ado...
14 May 13: "Some Aboriginal advocates say they are "absolutely horrified" by a Northern Territory Government proposal to put Aboriginal children up for adoption if they are victims of extreme neglect. ... the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation say they are horrified by the plan. "Where [there is] absolutely no other option, there is room for adoption," spokeswoman Vicki Lee Knowles said. "[But] within an Aboriginal family because the loss of culture, land and language has a long-term impact on the social and emotional wellbeing of those children who are removed.""
* SNAICC NEWS: CHIEF MINISTER'S SOLUTION ON ABORIGINAL CHILD PROTECTION SHORT-SIGHTED & WRONG
- Media Release
SNAICC News: Media Release 15 May 2013 - Chief Minister's solution on Aboriginal child protection short-sighted & wrong
[SNAICC: Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care]
http://www.snaicc.org.au/news-events/fx-view-article.cfm?loadref=32&id=1077
16 May 13: "SNAICC is disappointed and concerned with NT Chief Minister Adam Giles’s remarks that his Government would encourage the adoption of Aboriginal children to non-Aboriginal families.
These comments are short sighted and echo paternalistic attitudes of bygone times.
The NT Government is proposing an ill-conceived 'solution' that runs counter to accepted practices of what is required to best enable children to grow up safe and cared for, and to develop to their fullest potential.
And it ignores the lessons of Australian history and the devastating experiences of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children forcibly removed from their families.
No-one would disagree that it is imperative that authorities act in the best interests of the child at all times when making decisions on child protection and placements in alternative care.
However, taking children away for adoption should be seen as a "last resort" option. All children have a fundamental human right to remain connected to their family, their community and their culture. ... "
* SBS WORLD NEWS VIDEO: ALARM OVER NT PLAN ON NEGLECTED INDIGENOUS KIDS
- Video
SBS World News: Alarm over NT plan on neglected Indigenous kids
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1766232/Alarm-over-NT-plan-on-neglect...
14 May 13: "The Northern Territory government has sparked fears of creating another Stolen Generation after it outlined a plan to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive homes. ... A Stolen Generation support group says it's shocked by the Northern Territory government's plan to send neglected Indigenous children into adoptive care. Head of the Northern Territory Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation Vicki-Lee Knowles says Mr Giles is disregarding critical recommendations made in a major report by the Australian Human Rights Commission."
* ABC VIDEO: ADOPTIONS 'ONLY PART OF SOLUTION' FOR NEGLECTED INDIGENOUS CHILDREN
- Video
ABC: Adoptions 'only part of solution' for neglected Indigenous children
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-14/adoptions-only-part-of-solution-fo...
14 May 13: "NT Children's Commissioner Dr Howard Bath says all other options should be explored first before neglected Indigenous children are adopted." Andrew Geoghegan
* AUSTRALIAN TIMES: ADOPTION AN OPTION FOR NEGLECTED INDIGENOUS CHILDREN
- News
Australian Times: Adoption an option for neglected Indigenous children
http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news/in-australia/adoption-an-option-fo...
13 May 13: "NORTHERN Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles has announced he will remove neglected Aboriginal children from their homes and adopt them out if necessary, claiming that fears of a return to the Stolen Generation have put Indigenous children at serious risk in recent years. Mr Giles, who became the country’s first Indigenous state or territory leader earlier this year, said his government was committed to making parents take responsibility for their children." By Paul Bleakley, a journalist and academic raised on Queensland's Gold Coast
* NT NEWS: I WILL REMOVE NEGLECTED KIDS, SAYS CHIEF
- News
NT News: I will remove neglected kids, says Chief
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2013/05/14/320815_ntnews.html
14 May 13: "NT Chief Minister Adam Giles says his government will remove neglected Aboriginal children from their parents and place them in adopted homes if necessary. Mr Giles, the first-ever indigenous state or territory leader, said governments had failed Aboriginal children because of fears they would be accused of creating a new Stolen Generation, but he would not be put off by such accusations. "Whatever we do has to be about making parents take responsibility for their kids," Mr Giles said." Paul Toohey
- Related News
NT News: Historical fears hinder action on children
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2013/05/15/320884_ntnews.html
15 May 13: "CALLS by Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles for neglected Aboriginal children to be adopted into safe homes have met with strong support and bitter personal recrimination. Mr Giles, an indigenous man, told the NT News that fears of another Stolen Generation had seen Aboriginal children left to wander, sniffing petrol, becoming sexualised at a young age and abused. NT Children's Commissioner Howard Bath agreed that historical fears of a Stolen Generation had seen hundreds of Aboriginal children in the Territory left abandoned. ... " Paul Toohey
- Related Video
Herald Sun: NT Chief Minister Adam Giles says fears over Stolen Generation are causing child neglect
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/nt-chief-minister-adam-giles-s...
14 May 13: Paul Toohey
- Related Opinion
Herald Sun: It's come to this again: taking kids from their parents
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/archive/opinion/its-come-to-this-again-takin...
14 May 13: "SIX year after the federal intervention was announced, Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles has revealed to News Limited that he will intervene and send neglected Aboriginal children into adoptive homes if parents wont care for them. How has it come to this? For a start, much of the housing that was promised under the intervention, which Labor has rebranded Stronger Futures, never arrived. There is a crisis in remote housing, and homes - if you could call them that - are badly overcrowded." Paul Toohey, News Limited Network
* TRACKER: ABORIGINAL CHILDREN ARE BEING LEFT WITH NEGLECTFUL PARENTS: GILES
- News
newsTracker: Aboriginal children are being left with neglectful parents: Giles
http://tracker.org.au/2013/05/aboriginal-children-are-being-left-with-ne...
15 May 13: "Northern Territory Chief Minister Adam Giles says Aboriginal children are being left with neglectful parents because of fears of creating a new Stolen Generation. ... Barbara Shaw from the Intervention Rollback Action Group said taking more Aboriginal children from their parents was unnecessary. She said Aboriginal children who were neglected were already taken away if need be, and many children might appear to be neglected when they are not. Ms Shaw said instead of wanting more children to be removed, the government should improve services for people in the bush, to improve the lives of families."
* ADELAIDE NOW: ANDREW BOLT: LISTEN TO GILES ON ABORIGINAL KIDS
- Opinion
Adelaide Now: Andrew Bolt: Listen to Giles on Aboriginal kids
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt-listen-to-giles-o...
15 May 13: "FINALLY, someone is standing up and say what needs to be said about Aboriginal children - they should be removed if they're in trouble, writes Andrew Bolt. THE "Stolen Generations" myth has made us leave Aboriginal children to be bashed, raped and killed. In fact, it's hurt more children than were ever proved stolen just for being Aboriginal."
* OTHER NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) NEWS:
- News
newsTracker: NT welfare groups unhappy with budget
http://tracker.org.au/2013/05/nt-welfare-groups-unhappy-with-budget/
15 May 13: "Social welfare groups in the Northern Territory are criticising Canberra for failing to raise the Newstart allowance in the federal budget. The Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS), which represents many NT community groups, said the high cost of living in the territory left welfare recipients in the jurisdiction vulnerable if there was no rise to payments. ... About 30 per cent of the NT’s population identifies as being Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and Ms Morton welcomed a commitment from the government to continue to fund Closing the Gap measures."
newsTracker: Rises in NT unemployment rate
http://tracker.org.au/2013/05/rises-in-nt-unemployment-rate/
10 May 13: "NORTHERN TERRITORY: Unemployment crept up in the Northern Territory in April but the jurisdiction still has the lowest jobless rate in the nation. In April in trend terms the NT recorded an unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent, which is 0.1 per cent higher than last month and 0.5 per cent up on the corresponding period in 2012, new figures show. Nationally the jobless rate dipped to 5.5 per cent, with 50,100 new jobs created, beating expectations. The NT Opposition leapt on the numbers to criticise the Country Liberal Party’s economic management."
- Audio
National Indigenous Radio Service: Homelands services shouldn't be Federally-funded: Scullion
http://www.nirs.org.au/blog/NEWS/article/29225/Homelands-services-should...
10 May 13: "The Federal Opposition’s Indigenous Affairs spokesperson, Nigel Scullion, says the Government is wrong to fund municipal services for remote Northern Territory communities."
National Indigenous Radio Service: Shaw spreads anti-income managment message to SA
http://www.nirs.org.au/blog/NEWS/article/29217/Shaw-spreads-anti-income-...
9 May 13: "By NIRS/CAAMA: Central Australian Aboriginal rights campaigner Barbara Shaw has been a key speaker at a forum on income management held in South Australia. ... She told CAAMA Radio she strongly opposes the welfare scheme which came into force in July last year in five communities outside the Territory, including Playford in SA."
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