Antinuclear

Australia’s Labor and Liberal parties unite to pass discriminatory law against Aborigines

Indigenous leader Dr Djiniyini Gondarra from East Arnhem Land and Rosalie Kunoth Monks from Central Australia have jointly declared a day of mourning for Aboriginal people following the passing of the laws.

Former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson said the government’s use of special measures could fail a High Court challenge. He said Ms Macklin’s response was ‘entirely predictable’ and maintained the consultation process had been a ‘travesty’.

Day of mourning for cont NT intervention  Big Pond News, June 29, 2012  Aboriginal leaders will hold a day of mourning after federal parliament passed legislation to continue the Northern Territory intervention for another 10 years.

Labor and the opposition teamed up to pass the controversial laws in the Senate in the early hours of Friday morning after a marathon debate, which started early Thursday evening.

The laws were amended to reduce the review period from seven to three years. Attempts by the Greens to heavily amend the laws, including cutting the sunset clause from 10 to five years, were defeated.

The Greens accused the government of sneaking the laws through in the shadow of the media storm over asylum seekers on the final day before parliament’s winter break. Greens senator Lee Rhiannon said Labor was trashing its proud history in indigenous affairs, particularly the goodwill from former prime minister Kevin Rudd’s apology and Paul Keating’s Redfern speech…….
Indigenous leader Dr Djiniyini Gondarra from East Arnhem Land and Rosalie Kunoth Monks from Central Australia have jointly declared a day of mourning for Aboriginal people following the passing of the laws.

‘For those of us living in the Northern Territory the anguish of the
past five years of intervention has been almost unbearable,’ Dr
Djiniyini told AAP.

The package also expands income management for people on welfare to
five trial sites outside the Top End. These are in Bankstown in NSW,
Playford, South Australia, Shepparton, Victoria, and Rockhampton and
Logan in Queensland. The program begins on July 1……..
Former Family Court chief justice Alastair Nicholson said the government’s use of special measures could fail a High Court
challenge. He said Ms Macklin’s response was ‘entirely predictable’ and maintained the consultation process had been a ‘travesty’.

‘They speak about these wonderful consultations, I guess if you say
that often enough it sounds good, but in fact it isn’t,’ he told AAP.

National Congress of Australia’s First People spokeswoman Jody Broun
was disappointed the government did not allow a parliamentary
committee to subject the laws to a human rights test.

Australian Lawyers Alliance national president Greg Barns said the Stronger Futures laws were further disenfranchising indigenous communities.
http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2012/06/29/Day_of_mourning_for_cont_NT_intervention_766004.html

June 29, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | aboriginal issues, AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL