FED: ATSIC replacement due by end of 2009

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2009
FED: ATSIC replacement due by end of 2009

By Bonny Symons-Brown

CANBERRA, Aug 27 AAP - The federal government has committed to establishing a new indigenous
body to replace the defunct ATSIC by the end of the year.

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) was abolished by the Howard
government in 2005.

A replacement model will be presented to Labor on Thursday by Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma.

Hours before the plan's unveiling, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said the
new body would be established before the end 2009.

But she would not be drawn on how much influence the advisory organisation - which
won't administer funds, deliver programs or have legislative powers - would have on the
government.

"What we have always said is that we will not be creating another ATSIC," she told
reporters in Canberra.

"I made it clear at the start of this process that we would not accept a body that
had responsibility for service delivery."

Nor would Ms Macklin say whether she wanted to see the body made up of elected members
from indigenous communities.

"That's a matter that I wanted indigenous people to consider," she said.

Ms Macklin defended the intensive consultations behind Mr Calma's proposal, following
reports prominent indigenous leaders Galarrwuy Yunupingu and Noel Pearson did not participate
in talks.

"As I understand it, there has been extensive consultation," she said.

"There's certainly been opportunity for many, many people to make a contribution."

It will be a full day for the minister who will also be hearing from the United Nations
special rapporteur on indigenous human rights, Professor James Anaya.

Prof Anaya has spent the past 10 days travelling around Australia examining human rights
and fundamental freedoms in remote indigenous communities.

"I think he will have come back to Canberra today with a very significant understanding
of the significant pressures facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this
country," Ms Macklin said.

Prof Anaya earlier this month said the Howard government's suspension of the Racial
Discrimination Act to enable the Northern Territory intervention to proceed was superficially
discriminatory.

Ms Macklin said Labor had committed to reinstating the operation of the Act in the
NT and the legislation would be introduced to parliament later this year.

AAP bsb/sb/dep

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS

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