Newsletter date: 4 May 2014
Contents:
* NACCHO political alert: Commission of Audit: Aboriginal health would suffer
* NACCHO breaking news: Federal government Commission of Audit Indigenous programmes
* Tim Soutphommasane, Australian Human Rights Commission: No case for changing race laws, says Race Discrimination Commissioner
* Australian Human Rights Commission: Racial Discrimination: Commission responds to Exposure Draft
* Chris Slee, Green Left: Meeting discusses Racial Discrimination Act changes
* Delia Lawrie, Territory Labor: Territory Law Plan to Tackle Racism
* John Ferguson, The Australian: Liberal states' blow to Brandis race bid
* Background: Opposition to proposed Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) changes
* NACCHO POLITICAL ALERT: COMMISSION OF AUDIT: ABORIGINAL HEALTH WOULD SUFFER
- News
NACCHO political alert: Commission of Audit: Aboriginal health would suffer
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/05/02/naccho-political-alert-commission...
2 May 14: "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be exempt from any health co-payments to prevent any backward steps in Aboriginal health, said the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) today. NACCHO Chair Justin Mohamed said the introduction of co-payments for basic health care such as GP visits and medicines, as recommended by the Commission of Audit, would increase barriers for many Aboriginal people to look after their own health. ... "I urge the government to carefully consider the implications before implementing this recommendation ... " [Mr Mohamed said.]"
* NACCHO BREAKING NEWS: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMMISSION OF AUDIT INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMES
- News
NACCHO breaking news: Federal government Commission of Audit Indigenous programmes
[NACCHO: National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation]
http://nacchocommunique.com/2014/05/01/naccho-breaking-news-federal-gove...
1 May 14: "Commonwealth and State governments all direct significant amounts of funding towards Indigenous affairs, through both mainstream and Indigenous specific programmes and services. ... The Commission considers there is significant scope to improve the effectiveness of Indigenous expenditure by consolidating programmes, redirecting funding to Indigenous education, reducing overlap with the States and improving accountability."
* TIM SOUTPHOMMASANE, AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: NO CASE FOR CHANGING RACE LAWS, SAYS RACE DISCRIMINATION COMMISSIONER
- News
Australian Human Rights Commission: No case for changing race laws, says Race Discrimination Commmissioner
AHRC: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/stories/no-case-changing-race-laws-s...
ABC The Drum: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-29/soutphommasane-no-case-for-changin...
30 Apr 14: "At the Human Rights Commission we have serious concerns about the proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act. Now is not the time to be weakening legal protections against racism, writes Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner Tim Soutphommasane, in an opinion piece first published in The Drum. ... Multicultural and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, legal and human rights experts, psychologists and public health professionals, and the community at large have been united in their support for current laws against racial vilification."
* AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION: RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: COMMISSION RESPONDS TO EXPOSURE DRAFT
- News
Australian Human Rights Commission: Racial Discrimination: Commission responds to Exposure Draft
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/stories/racial-discrimination-commis...
29 Apr 14: "The Australian Human Rights Commission has made a submission to the Attorney-General's Department about the proposed changes to the racial hatred provisions of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. The Commission considers that the exposure Bill as drafted should not proceed. The Commission’s submission sets out concerns that any future draft Bill would need to address. The Commission looks forward to engaging with any future proposal. Any proposal to amend the law should involve extensive public consultation as it has the capacity to affect the human rights of all Australians, ... "
Read the Commission's submission: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/submissions/amendments-part-iia-racial-di...
* CHRIS SLEE, GREEN LEFT: MEETING DISCUSSES RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ACT CHANGES
- Reportback
Green Left: Meeting discusses Racial Discrimination Act changes
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/56381
https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/56338
3 May 14: "More than 100 people attended a forum on the federal government’s proposed amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act. The meeting, called by the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council, was held in Northcote Town Hall on April 24. Attorney-general George Brandis was invited to attend, but did not show up. Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus told the meeting the government’s planned changes amount to scrapping the existing law against racial vilification. He said this would give a "green light for racism"." By GLW author Chris Slee
* DELIA LAWRIE, TERRITORY LABOR: TERRITORY LAW PLAN TO TACKLE RACISM
- News
Territory Labor: Territory Law Plan to Tackle Racism
http://territorylabor.com.au/territory-law-plan-to-tackle-racism/
30 Apr 14: "Leader of the Opposition, Delia Lawrie, has today said she will seek bi-partisan support for a private member’s bill to provide protection for Territorians following the Federal Government’s move to repeal section 18C of the federal Racial Discrimination Act. "There is no place for racial discrimination in today’s society, but the unfortunate truth is that racial discrimination and vilification occurs," Ms Lawrie said." Delia Lawrie, Leader of the Opposition
* JOHN FERGUSON, THE AUSTRALIAN: LIBERAL STATES' BLOW TO BRANDIS RACE BID
- News
The Australian: Liberal states' blow to Brandis race bid
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/liberal-states-blow-to-...
3 May 14: "NSW and Victoria have combined to pressure the commonwealth to dump proposed reforms of the national race- hate laws, warning it will lead to an increase in racial intolerance and Holocaust denial. The outspoken opposition from the two most powerful states will be a significant blow to federal Attorney-General George Brandis and his plan to repeal section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act." John Ferguson
* BACKGROUND: OPPOSITION TO PROPOSED RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ACT (RDA) CHANGES
Last updated: 3 May 2014
http://indymedia.org.au/2014/03/27/background-opposition-to-proposed-rac...
- - -
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
About WGAR News:
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/30/about-wgar-news-working-group-for-abo...
Subscription to 'WGAR News' is free.
'WGAR News' monitors the media, including alternative media, focusing on:
* the Australian Federal government intervention into Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal communities;
* the Aboriginal sovereignty movement and the Aboriginal tent embassies;
* Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody;
* Aboriginal land rights and mining;
* Suicide and self-harm in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities;
* Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing;
* other Aboriginal rights issues; and
* upcoming Aboriginal rights events around Australia.
'WGAR News' gives priority to grassroots Aboriginal voices and grassroots voices in solidarity with Aboriginal peoples' rights.
The role of 'WGAR News' is to facilitate the voices of others, and as such, 'WGAR News' rarely writes its own articles.
'WGAR News' publishes information and opinions from a wide range of sources.
These opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of WGAR.
The e-newsletters include media releases, opinion pieces, news items, audio, videos and events.
Subscribers can expect to receive about 7 e-newsletters each week.
To subscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "subscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
To unsubscribe, email wgar.news@gmail.com and include the words "unsubscribe WGAR News" in the message header.
Sample WGAR News e-newsletters:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-sample-wgar-news-e-ne...
WGAR events postings:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-events-postings
WGAR background info web-pages:
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/03/about-wgar-news-wgar-background-info-...
WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)