Media Release - Indigenous Legislation - Democracy In Action Or Party Politics At Play?

Catholic Social Services Australia's Executive Director, Frank Quinlan, today repeated the call for two months of deliberation and consultation on the Bills to enact the Federal Government's Northern Territory ‘intervention' and to change welfare payments.

"The Inquiry process has been inadequate and the lack of consultation in the lead-up to the tabling of the legislation last week ahead of the one day Senate Committee hearing last Friday is to be condemned," Mr Quinlan said.

"With no notice, more than 150 submissions were made to the Senate Committee.  Yet only a few days later the majority Committee's view is expressed in just four pages, including recommendations.  Is this an adequate consideration of issues of this scale?

"Senators need more time to read and fully consider the implications of this significant legislation," Mr Quinlan said.

In its submission to the Senate Inquiry, Catholic Social Services Australia recommended a Senate Inquiry period of at least two months.

That timeframe would enable adequate consultation with Indigenous leaders and others, to identify and eliminate racial discrimination from the Bills, to assess the evidence on the value of provisions such as welfare ‘quarantining', and to eliminate the problems with Indigenous sentencing provisions that this same Senate Committee said were ill conceived when they examined related Bills in 2006.

Catholic Social Services Australia's concerns were echoed in many of the 150 submissions received by the Senate Committee.

"If our approach to the appalling state of Indigenous welfare in some communities is to be effective and lasting we must engage the leaders of those communities effectively in developing and evaluating solutions, including any necessary legislation.

"That the Parliament has today voted down an amendment calling for the ‘independent and comprehensive annual review' of the legislation to measure its impact on Indigenous people does not bode well," Mr Quinlan said.

A copy of Catholic Social Services Australia's submission is available at: www.catholicsocialservices.org.au.

CONTACT:  Judith Tokley      02 6285 1366 / 0408 824 306