Newsletter date: 23 May 2012
Contents:
* Matilda Bogner, UN Human Rights Office: NT intervention law must comply with Australia’s human rights obligations
* ABC: NT Aboriginal intervention breaches Human Rights - NGO
* Panel discussion: Poverty reduced by Indigenous communities' self-management
* Congress: Unity is the key: Speech to ACTU Congress 2012
* Gerry Georgatos: The NT is a prison built brick by brick by the Commonwealth
* Jack Waterford: Macklin policies do not translate
* More 'Stronger Futures' Legislation related articles
* Background to 'Stronger Futures' new NT Intervention laws
* Background to the Northern Territory (NT) Intervention
* Other articles
* MATILDA BOGNER, UN HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE: NT INTERVENTION LAW MUST COMPLY WITH AUSTRALIA'S HUMAN RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS
- Analysis / Opinion
Matilda Bogner, UN Human Rights Office: NT intervention law must comply with Australia’s human rights obligations
HRLC: http://www.hrlc.org.au/content/topics/indigenous/northern-territory-inte...
22 May 12: ""There is a path that the Government can take to reassure its critics that it wants the Stronger Futures legislation to comply with human rights standards. Putting it up for review by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights would be a strong signal," writes Matilda Bogner, UN Human Rights Office Regional Representative in the Pacific. Concerns regarding the Australian Federal Government’s interventions in the Northern Territory, dating back to 2007, have been expressed loudly and repeated by affected indigenous communities and their supporters, ... "
- Related News
newsTracker: UN urges scrutiny of intervention laws
http://tracker.org.au/2012/05/un-urges-scrutiny-of-intervention-laws/
23 May 12: "NATIONAL: The United Nations has challenged the Australian government to subject its Stronger Futures laws, which would continue the Northern Territory intervention in remote Indigenous communities, to scrutiny against its human rights obligations. ... The legislation is before the Senate and was introduced to parliament before the committee was set up late last year. "Putting it up for review by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights would be a strong signal that the government is committed to bringing it fully in line with its human rights obligations," Ms Bogner wrote ... "
Age: NT laws 'need rights testing'
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/nt-laws-need-rights-test...
23 May 12: "A SENIOR UN official has called on the Australian government to subject its proposals for an extension of the federal intervention in the Northern Territory to scrutiny by a newly formed parliamentary committee on human rights. ... Under laws that took effect in January, all government legislation must be examined by a parliamentary committee on human rights, which examines whether the proposals comply with Australia's international human rights obligations. However the so-called ''Stronger Futures'' proposals are not subject to this requirement because the bills were introduced in November."
9 News: UN urges more scrutiny of Aboriginal laws
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8471639/un-urges-more-scrutiny-of-ab...
22 May 12: "The United Nations has challenged Australia to pit its planned laws to boost indigenous advancement in the Northern Territory against its wider human rights obligations. That task would help sure mistakes of the past were not repeated, the UN said. ... The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Pacific representative Matilda Bogner has called on Labor to allow a new parliamentary committee on human rights to review the draft laws."
See:
WGAR News: "Australia challenged at United Nations over NT laws" Statement of delegations to UN (21 May 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/21/wgar-news-australia-challenged-at-uni...
* ABC: NT ABORIGINAL INTERVENTION BREACHES HUMAN RIGHTS - NGO
- Audio Interview
ABC Radio National: NT Aboriginal intervention breaches Human Rights - NGO
Presenter: Meredith Griffiths
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/pacific-bea...
21 May 12: "The United Nations has heard that Australia is breaching its human rights obligations by moving to extend the Intervention in Northern Territory Aboriginal communities. The chairman of the National Congress of Australia's First People says it's a major disappointment that the government is extending laws for another 10 years, without the consent of the people concerned. Les Malezer says the laws are racist.
Speaker: Les Malezer, chairman, National Congress of Australia's First People"
- Related Audio
Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association:
CAAMA Radio Online News 22.05.2012
http://caama.com.au/caama-radio-online-news-22-05-2012
22 May 12: "Australia challenged at United Nations over racist laws."
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...
WGAR News: "Australia challenged at United Nations over NT laws" Statement of delegations to UN (21 May 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/05/21/wgar-news-australia-challenged-at-uni...
* PANEL DISCUSSION: POVERTY REDUCED BY INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES' SELF-MANAGEMENT
- Audio
ABC RN Drive: Panel discussion: Indigenous governance
Presenter Waleed Aly; Producer Melanie Christiansen
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/drive/panel-discussion3a-in...
21 May 12: "A proposed ten-year extension of the controversial intervention into Indigenous communities, which began in the Northern Territory five years ago, is expected to pass the federal parliament next month. But it comes as some experts argue there is increasing evidence, particularly from Northern America, that allowing indigenous communities to manage their own affairs can significantly reduce poverty.
Guests:
* Professor Stephen Cornell, Co-director of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development and director of the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at The University of Arizona
* Tanya Hosch, Executive director of the Indigenous Governance Institute project"
* CONGRESS: UNITY IS THE KEY: SPEECH TO ACTU CONGRESS 2012
- Speech
National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples:
Unity is the key: Speech to ACTU Congress 2012
http://nationalcongress.com.au/unity-is-the-key-speech-to-actu-congress-...
16 May 12: "Congress CEO, Lindon Coombes spoke to the ACTU Congress, the meeting of 1000 delegates from every industry and sector in Australia. He spoke about the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, about opposing the current legislation for the next phase of the NT Intervention and about supporting Constitutional reform. The ACTU Congress then passed a unanimous resolution to support the campaign to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the body of the Constitution of Australia.
Click here [ http://nationalcongress.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/120516ACTUCong... ] to read the full speech."
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...
* GERRY GEORGATOS: THE NT IS A PRISON BUILT BRICK BY BRICK BY THE COMMONWEALTH
- Analysis / Opinion
Indymedia Australia: People are not the property of people; the Northern Territory is a prison built brick by brick by the Commonwealth
http://www.indymedia.org.au/2012/05/20/people-are-not-the-property-of-pe...
20 May 12: "The Northern Territory Intervention and Stronger Futures are custodial predicaments and hence the premise to the arguments by many that they are racist occurrences. Statistics indicate that everything since the Military Emergency Response in the Northern Territory have got worse and not better, ... Not just one, however twelve Northern Territory Elders, twelve out of twelve, said to me that the Intervention is a prison, and that they do not just live in prison-like conditions however in an actual prison, in that they see the warden, the guards, and in that they can see the walls, the bars, and the heavy metal doors." By Gerry Georgatos
* JACK WATERFORD: MACKLIN POLICIES DO NOT TRANSLATE
- Analysis / Opinion
Canberra Times: Macklin policies do not translate
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/macklin-policies-do-not-translat...
19 May 12: "One of the latest whizz ideas in Aboriginal affairs is the appointment of indigenous engagement officers - or IEOs as they are already being called at MackDonald's Farm. We - perhaps more accurately Aboriginal communities - already have about 30 of them, and one of the budget ''initiatives'' from the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, is that there will be another 60 IEO jobs invented over the next two years. IEOs, according to Macklin, will work closely with Government Engagement Coordinators in communities ... " Jack Waterford
* MORE 'STRONGER FUTURES' LEGISLATION RELATED ARTICLES:
- News
National Indigenous Radio Service: Work-for-the-dole scheme no help: Darwin group
http://www.nirs.org.au/news/latest-news/7230-work-for-the-dole-scheme-no...
22 May 12: "A Northern Territory Indigenous rights organisation says the gradual reduction of work scheme Community Development Employment Programs (CDEP) has created uncertainty in communities. The Darwin Aboriginal Rights Coalition welcomed comments from Federal Opposition Indigenous Affairs Spokesperson Nigel Scullion which contradicted the Liberal's policy of moving people from CDEP to welfare. The Rights Coalition's Peter Robson says if CDEP continues to be watered down to a work-for-the-dole scheme, there would be little to provide community members with long-terms jobs."
9 News: Qld urged to revolt against welfare policy
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8470753/qld-urged-to-revolt-against-...
21 May 12: "The Queensland government is being urged not to allow compulsory income management to be extended to two Queensland cities. The policy is set to be rolled out in Logan and Rockhampton on July 1 if the state government signs an agreement with the federal government. Queensland Greens spokeswoman Libby Connors has urged Communities Minister Tracy Davis not to agree. The state government has promised a new inquiry into child protection and should await its report, she says."
* BACKGROUND TO 'STRONGER FUTURES' NEW NT INTERVENTION LAWS:
Last updated: 21 May 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-stronger-futures-new-nt...
* BACKGROUND TO THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (NT) INTERVENTION:
Last updated: 29 April 2012
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/22/background-to-the-northern-territory-...
* OTHER ARTICLES:
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: Little Black Duck: A broken promise for social justice
http://tracker.org.au/2012/05/little-black-duck-a-broken-promise-for-soc...
18 May 12: "NATIONAL: As the anniversary of the landmark Mabo decision nears, we should focus on the Keating government’s failure to deliver its Social Justice Package, writes NICOLE WATSON*. The third of June will mark the twentieth anniversary of the High Court’s decision in Mabo v Queensland. It will be an occasion for many to reflect on the brave plaintiffs who fought a David and Goliath battle against the treacherous Queensland government. But it will also be a time to contemplate the injustice of the native title recognition process that has failed to realize the promise of that historic decision." Nicole Watson, Murri lawyer and researcher, Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning, UTS
- Audio Interview
Indigenous radio station 98.9FM Brisbane:
Grant Rigney - Chair of the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations
http://www.989fm.com.au/category/podcasts/
22 May 12
Listen to this interview on-line:
http://www.989fm.com.au/podcasts/lets-talk/grant-rigney/
- - -
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Comments
The UN was and is basically stepping in for all Australians here
The UN was and is basically stepping in for all Australians here.
See: "It began with the Intervention" by Eva Cox (New Matilda, online news).
It's tragic how demoralised the government have made our original people in the Northern Territory and wherever else, whilst they toy token "We're supportive of you" in ways that are shameful.
Melanie G.
Hawthorne
The most hostile, unconscionable act of bullying and aggression
The Northern Territory Intervention in the most hostile, unconscionable act of bullying and aggression toward the vulnerable or disadvantaged amongst a few others.
It's atrocious and I'm glad the UN will step in.
They need to live up to their name the UN Peacekeeping organisation.
This Intervention has demoralised and factually destroyed vast numbers of our original people and has spent our collective monies on huge numbers of bureaucrats jobs when they were meant to 'care' and look after the employment and well being or basic livlihood of our original people.
Shame on the politicians who have and continue to make this reality. It's unconscionable.
Randell
Income management has broader applications to Stronger Futures
As Senior Legal Officer for the Australian Law Reform Commission on the Income Management chapter and recommendations to the Australian Govt. the research for our report 'Commonwealth Laws and Family Violence' ALRC 117 is significant when addressing the Stronger Futures law, (now passed by the Senate this week). Jumbanna UTS and the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Commission communicated the importance of the ALRCs research on income management. The framework of voluntary IM was identified and has broader applications to Stronger Futures and for all other IM regimes.