NSW Josephite Justice Committee
The Review Board
NTER Review Board Secretariat,
GPO Box 7576,
Canberra Business Centre, ACT 2610
Dear Mr Yu, Ms Duncan and Mr Gray,
We welcome the Federal Government's Review of the Intervention into the Northern Territory.
We believe that the Australian community needs to take the long view in addressing the disadvantage of the Indigenous peoples. The voices in opposition to the Intervention outweigh those in favour, and the Review itself is testimony to its inherent flaws. It is not surprising that the Intervention has been the subject of such opposition, as its implementation has required the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act.
Foremost among the deficiencies of the Intervention is the withdrawal of the means by which communities are educated and encouraged to make the decisions which affect their lives. Appointing Business Managers with wide-ranging powers and hundreds of public servants to serve a growing bureaucracy is not designed to bring any educational benefit to people in the future, and is antagonising those in the present.
We advocate those measures which support people so that they are educated and enabled to manage their own affairs. This is an essential goal, as formidable as it is necessary, and therefore it needs far more resources and bi-partisan commitment.
Resources for the future education and self-management of Indigenous communities must be reliable. If the practice of subjecting funds to the changing whims of this or that political party currently in power is continued, failure will result as surely as it has in the past. Funding must be reliable to ensure long-term planning and the only way to ensure this is to allocate sufficient untouchable funds and to remove the administration to a level above that of party politics.
Indigenous peoples have the human right to be involved in everything which affects them. The dismantling of consultative systems without acceptable replacements is to be deplored. It is essential that Indigenous voices be heard in a national body and we advocate that comprehensive representative structures be established as a priority.
We strongly recommend
- that the Racial Discrimination Act be restored and observed
- that structures be established to ensure that Indigenous communities are fully involved and broadly consulted in all decisions affecting them
- that the Australian Parliament legislate for bi-partisan support for comprehensive structural change in the administration of all matters involving Indigenous people as well as satisfactory levels of long-term funding.
- that education, health and job opportunities remain priorities in all initiatives and decision-making
Yours sincerely,
Sister Susan Connelly RSJ
for the Committee