7th Aug 2007, 8:53 PM – Representatives Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform) Bill 2007 - Consideration in Detail - Racial Discrimination Act and review

This division relates to the Policy For the NT National Emergency Response.

The majority voted against amendments introduced by Labor MP Jenny Macklin, which means that they are unsuccessful.(See a copy of those amendments here. )

Ms Macklin explained that amendments (1) and (2) relate to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 in that they "clarify that the measures in the bill are special measures under the Racial Discrimination Act and are therefore consistent with the Act".(Read Ms Macklin's full explanation of the amendments here. ) This would remove the blanket exemption from part 2 of the Racial Discrimination Act, which the Labor Party considers to be "unhelpful and unnecessary". Amendment (3) "requires that a review be conducted after a year of the operation of the welfare reform and income management systems specific to the Northern Territory".

Background to the bill

The bill was introduced along with four other bills:

• the Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory National Emergency Response and Other Measures) Bill 2007
• the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007
• the Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 1) 2007-2008, and
• the Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Bill (No. 2) 2007-2008.

This legislation was introduced in response to the Report of the Northern Territory Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse, known as the Little Children are Sacred report, which was publicly released on 15 June 2007.(Read more about the background of the bills in the interim bills digest. ) That report came after concerns were raised on ABC's Lateline program in 2006.(Read the transcript for the Lateline programs that addressed the issue of child abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory here (the May 2006 program) and here (the June 2006 program).)