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Protest and public statement against Northern Territory Intervention

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Category: Media Releases
Published on Monday, 18 July 2011 16:47
Written by Jennifer
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Protest and public statement against Northern Territory Intervention

14 July 2011

Twenty four eminent South Australians today sent a letter of protest containing a public statement to the Prime Minister about the continuing Northern Territory Intervention and the Government’s totally inadequate current consultation process.

Principal Signatory the Hon. Robyn Layton Q.C said that:

“Positive change requires respect and genuine engagement with Aboriginal people.”

She further said :

“Visiting some 98 Aboriginal communities over 6 weeks is no way to respectfully consult Aboriginal people on a 28 page Discussion Paper written in bureaucratic English“.

She continued :

“While there are some aspects of the Intervention which could be viewed positively in some communities, it is the compulsory broad scale nature of the intervention which has been inflicted on Aboriginal people without genuine engagement at the local level which is fundamentally disturbing.”

The detailed public statement ;

“calls upon the Government to comply with its international obligations by bringing the Intervention to an end, including;

  • ensuring that promised services are automatically delivered without requiring Aboriginal people to lease land to the government in return for basic services;
  • terminating involuntary income management under the Basics Card;
  • securing Aboriginal rights in accordance with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;
  • reinstating the full application of the Racial Discrimination Act; and
  • appropriately engaging with local Aboriginal people to involve them in all aspects of decision-making about services and their delivery.”

The 24 Signatories are:

  • Dr Lynn Arnold AO; Chief Executive Officer, Anglicare SA and Reconciliation SA Ambassador
  • Sr Patricia Davis OP, Leader of the North Adelaide Dominican Sisters
  • Rev Dr Denis Edwards theologian/author
  • Brian Gilbertson, opera singer and solicitor
  • Sr Marion Gambin RSJ, Leader of the South Australian Sisters of St Joseph
  • Dorinda Hafner; culinary anthropologist/media personality
  • Sr Jill Havey ;educator
  • Kerry Heysen Hicks; film producer
  • Paul Heywood-Smith QC; barrister
  • Scott Hicks; film maker/director
  • Hon Elliott Johnston AO, QC; former SA Supreme Court Judge, Patron Reconciliation SA
  • Nicholas Jose; author
  • Hon. Robyn Layton QC; former SA Supreme Court Judge, Co- Chair Reconciliation SA
  • Leanne Liddle; journalist
  • Dr Christobel Mattingley AM; author
  • Lewis Yerloburka O'Brien; Kaurna Elder
  • Dr Lowitja O'Donohue AC,CBE,DSG; Aboriginal Elder
  • Sr Helen Owens RSM, Leader of the Sisters of Mercy, Adelaide
  • Claire Roberts; art historian and curator
  • Dr Alitya Rigney: Kaurna; Elder and educator
  • Dr Lester Irabinna Rigney; Dean Wilta Yerlo University of Adelaide
  • Rev Ken Sumner; President, UATSI  Christian Congress
  • Sr Enid Wood OP, Leader of the Cabra Dominican Sisters, Adelaide
  • Sharron Williams, CEO Aboriginal  Family Support Services SA

pdfbutton PUBLIC STATEMENT NORTHERN TERRITORY INTERVENTION

Contact person after 4.00pm 14 July 2011 is :

Robyn Layton
Telephone 0411 751 554 or 8223 6082
Email address robyn.layton @internode.on.net