June 2019
12 years of the NT Intervention
21st June 2019 marks 12 years of the NT Intervention and continued entrenched trauma.
The NT Intervention Rollback Action Group wrote an open letter to the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians.
Please click here to read the letter.
12 Years NT Intervention – IRAG Report Card (June 2019)
Media Release from ‘concerned Australians’
Rally in Sydney on Saturday, 29th June, 1pm Hyde Park North
August 2017
Time to end 10 years of Intervention in the Northern Territory
Statement from eminent Australians
Statement of Eminent Australians on the continuing damage caused by the discrimination, racism and lack of justice towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, exemplified by the continuation of the Northern Territory Intervention
While the Australian nation deliberates on the future of its relationship with the First Nations of this land, most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are focused on the continuing discrimination, racism and lack of justice, shown towards them by Federal, State and Territory Governments in so many areas.
Statement of Eminent Australians
The impetus for this statement lies with the ongoing profound disempowerment and destruction caused over the past decade and the three June 2017 statements of NT Elders, leaders and communities impacted by the Intervention:
1. Laynhapuy Homelands Aboriginal Corporation Statement (Yananymul Mununggurr and directors)
2. Mparntwe (Alice Springs) Stand Up 2017 statement
3. Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory Statement impacted by the NT Intervention of 29 June 2017
Audio recording from the launch of the statement
Video recording from the launch of the statement (1h 54 min)
For further information and to view the 6 Individual speakers (shorter videos) click here
The Importance of Engaging Experienced of Cross-Cultural
Interpreters for all Negotiations with Indigenous Communities
This article by Murray Garde flags lessons for all parties, including the NLC, which are involved in consultations with Aboriginal communities where English is far from being the predominant language.
Murray Garde is highly qualified for this assignment, and the NLC has total confidence in his expertise as an interpreter.
Linguists have taught us for a long time about the problems that arise from cross-purposes communication.
Murray Garde’s article demonstrates the value – indeed, in some instances, the necessity – of engaging an experienced cross-cultural interpreter for complex negotiations such as those that arise from profoundly important public policies that will have impact on the lives of current and future generations of Aboriginal people.
He has revealed the complexity of these negotiations and demonstrated that there are big holes in the understanding of Traditional Owners at Gunbalanya about the substance of negotiations so far towards the Commonwealth’s goal of securing a 99-year-lease over their community.
JOE MORRISON
CEO, Northern Land Council
Please click here to read the article by Murray Garde
June 2012
Stronger Futures and Associated Bills are Passed into Law – 29 June 2012
Letter from Deni Langman to Politicians read during the Senate ‘debate’
Hansard of the passage of the Bills through the Senate
Senate Inquiry Committee Report
Stronger Futures Legislation (and Associated Bills) Chart
(designed to be printed at A1 size)
July 2011
New round of consultations 2011
Letter from the Hon. Alastair Nicholson AO to Minister Jenny Macklin 27 Jun 2011 (PDF)
This letter was also signed by other influential Australians.
Media Release by Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM 26 Jun 2011 (PDF)
Media Release by The Anglican Diocese, the Most Rev Archbishop Philip Freier 29 Jun 2011 (PDF)
Public statement re the Northern Territory Intervention 14 Jul 2011 (DOC)
Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of the Racial Discrimination) Act 2010 and the views of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
This legislation is racially discriminatory, having been designed to allow for the treatment of Aboriginal Australians in the prescribed areas of the Northern Territory, yet without benefit to them, to be different to that of all other Australians across the country. There are no ‘special measures’ in the legislation.
What did the UN Committee for the Elimination of Radical Discrimination say about this legislation?
“The Committee expresses its concern that the package of legislation under the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) continues to discriminate on the basis of race as well as the use of so called “special measures” by the State party [Australia].”
The Racial Discrimination Act will be re-instated in the NT in December 2010. In its current form the Act will be restricted in its powers by the new legislation to protect Aboriginal people from racist measures.
What did the UN CERD Committee say about about the re-instatement of the Act?
“The Committee urges the State party to fully reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act, and, that the State party take measures to ensure that the Racial Discrimination Act prevails over all other legislation which may be discriminatory on the grounds set out in the Convention.”
Australia must amend the discriminatory legislation : Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of the Discrimination) Act 2010.
Some Responses to the the Social Security and Other Amendment (Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of the Racial Discrimination) Act
can be found in:
Professor the Hon. Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC (PDF)
Graeme Innes, Australian Race Commissioner (LINK)
Graeme Mundine, Executive Secretary National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (LINK)
World Council of Churches Living Letters (PDF)
Ngoppon Together Inc., Walking Together Reconciliation Group (PDF)
Social Policy Connections (SPC) Statement on NT Intervention & RDA (DOC)
Further information:
Concluding Observations report by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 13 September 2010 (PDF)
Report by Australian Racial Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes 11 August 2010 (LINK)
Statement to the UN by the Australian Government
11 August 2010 (DOC)
Media Release by ‘concerned Australians’
28 August 2010 (DOC)
ABC Alice Springs interview with Professor the Hon. Alastair Nicholson AO RFD QC discussing the Loss of Rights Report/UN CERD Concluding Observations 30 August (MP3)