WGAR News: Reinstating the RDA (Racial Discrimination Act) (26 Oct 09)

Submitted by WGAR - Working ... on Mon, 26/10/2009 - 8:50am

WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)

Contents:
Reinstating the RDA (Racial Discrimination Act)
Other NT Intervention Articles
Other Aboriginal Articles

REINSTATING THE RDA (RACIAL DISCRIMINATION ACT):

Indymedia Australia:
Racial Discrimination Act to be restored for Northern Territory Aborigines
http://indymedia.org.au/2009/10/15/racial-discrimination-act-to-be-resto...
16 Oct 09: "By Amnesty International Australia. It sounds too good to be true. The Australian government says it will next week start the process that will reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory and give Aboriginal people back the rights that non-Indigenous Australians enjoy -- and which they never should have been denied in the first place. Yet there’s a sting in the tail: right now politicians are talking up loopholes that will allow the continuation of discriminatory and demeaning 'special measures' in the Northern Territory, such as the compulsory quarantining of welfare payments. ... "

Rollback the Intervention:
Amnesty campaign: No conditions, no excuses Mr Rudd
http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/
Oct 09: "Amnesty International is currently running a campaign to tell the Prime Minister that the Racial Discrimination Act should be reinstated immediately. Considering that this legislation is not listed to be introduced into Parliament this month (as promised by Minister Macklin) it is important for as many people as possible to support this campaign. Australia is a disgrace in the international community whilst it continues the racist policies of the Northern Territory intervention.
Link to Amnesty petition: http://www.amnesty.org.au/action/action/21865/ "

Green Left: Reinstating the RDA is hypocrisy
http://www.greenleft.org.au/2009/815/41903
25 Oct 09: "Indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin announced in May that the federal Labor government would reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act by the end of October. But she has also said key policies of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) would remain - discriminatory policies that required the suspension of the RDA to be passed. It now appears unlikely the government will live up to its promise to reinstate the RDA in October. But the fact that such a commitment was made, while pledging to retain such racist policies, makes a mockery of any concerns about racial discrimination the government might claim to have." Peter Robson

FaHCSIA: 3. The Racial Discrimination Act and other human rights obligations
http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/indigenous/pubs/nter_reports/future_directi...
"When the Government accepted the third overarching recommendation of the NTER Review Board it committed to ensuring that Government actions affecting Aboriginal communities respect Australia's human rights obligations. This does not mean that the NTER measures will have to stop. ... The Government will introduce legislation into the Parliament in October 2009 to remove the provisions in the three pieces of legislation that exclude the operation of the RDA and the Northern Territory anti-discrimination laws."

OTHER NT INTERVENTION ARTICLES:

- Background on the Northern Territory Intervention

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Northern Territory National Emergency Response
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Territory_intervention

interventionwalkoff.wordpress.com
stoptheintervention.org
rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com
wgar.info

- Coming Up on TV

Rollback the Intervention:
Report on filming of SBS programme Insight (to be screened 27 October)
[scroll down page] http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/
Oct 09: "Richard Downs, who had been invited by SBS to take part in the programme, was advised that he would not be able to speak as the programme had been changed to only focus on housing in Santa Teresa and Alice Springs. Richard expressed his views about this and opted not be a part of the audience. ... The small IRAG [Intervention Rollback Action Group] protest group drew attention with their silent but bannerly-visible protest ... "

See: SBS Insight: Fixing Indigenous Housing - Will the Government deliver?
http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/

ABC1 TV: Message Stick - Giving Voice
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200911/programs/IP0805H040D2009-11-0...
"1:30pm Sunday, 08 Nov 2009 ... The Intervention into Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory has not had the best of publicity. In the two years since it was announced, there has been mixed opinion of its outcomes."

- Upcoming Events

Rollback the Intervention: Upcoming Events
[scroll down page] http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/
"* 27 October 2009
Closing date for submissions regarding the possible compulsory acquisition of the Alice Springs Town Camps. ...
* 16 November 2009
Follow on from “Racism Hurts – Enough is Enough” gathering.
Andy McNeill Room Town Council complex [Alice Springs]: Details to be advised. ...
* 12 December 2009
International Human Rights Day Celebrations. Plans underway for an event in Mparntwe-Alice Springs ...
* 13 February 2010
National Day of Action
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Byron Bay, Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth
2nd Anniversary of the Apology to the Stolen Generations
Still no compensation
Still a racist NT Intervention
Still Deaths in Custody
Less jobs, more imprisonment for Aboriginal people"

- Radio

CAAMA Radio
(Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association):
http://caama.com.au/radio/caama-radio-22nd-october-2009/
22 Oct 09: "Australia changing it’s view on the Federal Intervention."

News:

Age: Indigenous housing back on track: govt
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/indigenous-housing-back...
23 Oct 09: "The federal government department that oversees an indigenous housing project in the Northern Territory has defended the rate at which new dwellings are being constructed to address chronic overcrowding. The NT opposition wants a royal commission into the government's $672 million promise to build 750 new homes in the territory by 2012, citing serious construction delays and mishandling of funds."

ABC: Aboriginal housing plan 'ahead of schedule'
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/23/2722483.htm?site=indigenou...
23 Oct 09: "A senior federal bureaucrat says the target for Indigenous housing in the Northern Territory will be exceeded next year and 200 houses will be built. Earlier this year, the Federal Government announced a revamp of the $670 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure program, when it was revealed that no houses had been built."

ABC Alice Springs: Academic urges homeland health support
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/10/21/2720222.htm?site=alicesprings
21 Oct 09: "An expert from Charles Darwin University says the Northern Territory Government's plan to develop 'hubs' in remote areas will not work unless homelands continue to be supported. Professor Stephen Garnett will deliver a speech this evening in Alice Springs organised by the University's Centre for Remote Health."