Luisa Battrick 3133417 1

AusLrallan governmenLs, LhroughouL hlsLory have played a slgnlcanL role Lowards vlolaung Lhe
human rlghLs of lndlgenous AusLrallans. varylng acLs and pollces have been used as forms of
lncarcerauon, marglnallsauon, and genoclde. Cne such example of Lhls can be seen Lhrough Lhe
Poward CovernmenLs lmplemenLauon of Lhe norLhern 1errlLory lnLervenuon, also known as Lhe
norLhern 1errlLory Lmergency 8esponse, 2007 (n1L8). 1he purpose of Lhls paper ls Lo dlscuss how
Lhe norLhern 1errlLory Lmergency 8esponse (n1L8), has vlolaLed Lhe human rlghLs of boLh
lndlgenous and non-lndlgenous AusLrallans.

ln !une 2007, rlme MlnlsLer Poward along wlLh Lhe lndlgenous Aalrs MlnlsLer, made Lhe
announcemenL, LhaL Lhere was Lhe need for an lnLervenuon wlLhln Lhe norLher 1errlLory, Lhls was
enacLed as a resulL of Lhe Ampe Akelyernemane Meke Mekarle or 'Llule Chlldren are Sacred
8eporL' (2007), ln whlch lL was concluded LhaL Lhere was a crlsls level of sexual abuse Lowards
chlldren llvlng ln Aborlglnal communlues. 1he reporL called chley called upon Lhe norLhern
1errlLory CovernmenL for acuon, and LhroughouL lL also emphaslsed Lhe need for communlLy
consulLauon. 1he 8eporL lLself made 97 recommendauons ln whlch many lssues were addressed
for example, healLhcare and alcohol resLrlcuons.

Crlglnally, when Lhe n1L8 was lmplemenLed, many lLs maln feaLures, were only applled speclcally
Lo lndlgenous populauons resldlng wlLhln Lhe norLhern 1errlLory and as a resulL of Lhe
lmplemenLauon of Lhe n1L8, Lhe 1973 8aclal ulscrlmlnauon AcL (8uA) was subsequenLly
suspended, Lhus Lhls con[olnLly equaLed Lo Lhe mosL baslc forms of human rlghLs for lndlgenous
people belng revoked. WlLh Lhe suspenslon of Lhe 8uA Lhe freedom and rlghLs of lndlgenous
people wlLhln Lhe norLhern 1errlLory were revoked, Lhus enabllng Lhe AusLrallan CovernmenL
adopL a nouon of CovernmenLallLy, by applylng a dlrecL or Lop down approach ln solvlng a
problem, Lhus Lhls ellmlnaLed Lhe need for communlLy consulLauon Lo Lake place.

AlLhough Lhere have been many ways ln whlch Lhe lnLervenuon has dlrecLly lmpacLed lndlgenous
AusLrallans, from Lhe compulsory acqulsluon of Lhelr Lradluonal lands, Lhrough Lo sub[ecung
chlldren Lo mandaLory healLh checks, none of whlch were applled Lowards non-lndlgenous
communlues. lL was noL unul 8udd's 2007 elecuon campalgn and subsequenL elecuon, where
Lhere were [olnL human rlghLs vlolaLed, and one of Lhe maln ways ln whlch Lhls happened was
Lhrough welfare conLrol.


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Luisa Battrick 3133417 2

Welfare conLrol, or lncome managemenL was a pollcy lnLroduced by Lhe Poward CovernmenL, ln
whlch a cerLaln percenLage of welfare paymenLs are seL aslde Lo be spenL on 'prlorlLy goods and
servlces' (ueparLmenL of Puman Servlces, 2013). 1hrough lncome managemenL, welfare
paymenLs were quaranuned for essenual lLems and servlces llke houslng, educauon, healLh care,
food and cloLhlng. WlLh Lhe use of a 8aslcsCard (Creen Card, CenLreay) governmenL
organlsauons such as CenLrellnk, dlcLaLe Lo lndlvlduals noL only whaL Lhey can spend Lhelr money
on, buL also, where Lhey can spend lL. (ueparLmenL of Puman Servlces, 2013, l!"#$%&' )*+,)

1hls pollcy was orlglnally lnLroduced ln AusLralla Lhrough Lhe Poward governmenL and as parL of
Lhe n1L8. lncome managemenL schemes have also aL Lhe same ume as Lhe formauon of Lhe
n1L8 been esLabllshed ln oLher areas of Lhe norLhern 1errlLory, one example of Lhls ls Lhrough Lhe
-#!./ 0123 4/56!2/ 7/6128 92:!5 ;#0479<=' durlng Lhls Lrlal, famllles who were suggesLed of chlld
neglecL or Lhose famllles whose chlldren were noL auendlng or enrolled aL school. under Lhe
C?W81, oLher lndlvlduals could also volunLarlly opL Lo have Lhelr lncome managed. (?eend & uow,
2007, 8uckmasLer, Spooner, Margarey, 2012)

Compulsory lncome managemenL, could be argued Lo be one of Lhe mosL conLenuous changes
LhaL Lhe governmenL has made Lo AusLralla's welfare sysLem wlLhln recenL hlsLory. 1he pollcy ls
conLroverslal ln lLself because of how lL dlrecLly relaLes Lo Lhe 8uA, whlch ls Lhe ma[or leglslauon
LhaL upholds AusLralla's commlLmenLs under Lhe Convenuons on Lhe Lllmlnauon of All lorms of
8aclal ulscrlmlnauon (CL8u), and Lherefore seeks Lo provlde equallLy for all people regardless of
Lhelr eLhnlc orlgln, nauonallLy, race and colour. 1hus deemlng LhaL any dlscrlmlnauon agalnsL
people based on Lhe afore menuoned, would be deemed as belng unlawful. (?eend & uow, 2007,
8uckmasLer, Spooner, Margarey, 2012)

AlLhough lL has been menuoned LhaL Lhe lnlual processes of lncome managemenL was formulaLed
under Lhe Poward CovernmenL, durlng Lhe 2007 elecuon campalgn, Lhe Lhen 8udd opposluon
sLaLed lLs commlLmenL Lo Lhe need of an lnLervenuon, ln 2010 Lhe 8udd governmenL, galned Lhe
supporL of Lhe opposluon ln regards Lo exLendlng Lhe nouon of welfare conLrol lnLo dlsadvanLaged
communlues LhroughouL AusLralla. AlLhough Lhrough Lhls Lhe 8udd CovernmenL were Lhen able Lo
relnsLaLe Lhe 8uA, Lhls Lhen suggesLed LhaL some form of process had been underLaken Lo ensure
LhaL Lhe n1L8 would wlLhsLand any poLenual legal challenges.

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Luisa Battrick 3133417 3
1he 8udd CovernmenL aL Lhe ume were commenLed aL Lhe ume Lo -#51>:?@ AB/ C!.= a nouon
whlch came abouL Lo lmprove Lhe llves of all lndlgenous AusLrallans. (ueparLmenL of Soclal
Servlces, 2013) 1hrough uslng communlLy consulLauons Lhe 8udd CovernmenL modled Lhe n1L8
measures so LhaL Lhe measure would noL be consLrued as belng dlscrlmlnaLory. 1hls was done
Lhrough a serles of modlcauons Lo lncome managemenL provlslons.

1he Labour CovernmenLs changes Lo lncome managemenL were suggesLed Lo be parL of a broader
plan Lo brlng abouL changes ln Lhe ways ln whlch Lhe AusLrallan welfare sysLem -D!>/E 1? AB/
.2:?F:.5/> 16 /?@!@/8/?A' .!2GF:.!G1? !?E 2/>.1?>:D:5:AH= (Macklln, Snowden, 2009 pg. 1).
1hrough Lhls Lhe governmenL Lhen announced LhaL -&> .!2A 16 8!I12 2/6128> A1 AB/ J/56!2/ >H>A/8'
AB/ &K>A2!5:!? C1L/2?8/?A J:55 :?A21EKF/ ! ?/J M?!G1?!5N :?F18/ 8!?!@/8/?A >H>A/8 A1 .21A/FA
FB:5E2/? !?E 6!8:5:/> !?E B/5. E:>/?@!@/E :?E:L:EK!5>= (Macklln, Snowden, 2009 pg. 1). 1hls
process Lhen enabled Lhe exLenslon of lncome managemenL beyond Lhe norLhern 1errlLory. 1hus
noL only aecung lndlgenous AusLrallan's, buL all AusLrallan's, allke. AlLhough, Lhere has been
many crluclsms of Lhe 'race-neuLral' (8uckmasLer, Spooner, Margarey, 2012 pg 3) form of lncome
managemenL, and lL can be ascerLalned LhaL alLhough lL ls consLrued as a non dlscrlmlnaLory
measure, lL ls sull only enforced on cerLaln geographlcal areas. (Couda, 2011)

ln concluslon, lL appears LhaL Lhe maln alm of Lhe n1L8 was Lo furLher marglnallse AusLralla's
lndlgenous populauons, whlch appears Lo be lnllne wlLh whaL prevlous governmenLs have done
LhroughouL hlsLory, and alLhough Lhe 8udd CovernmenL amended Lhe orlglnal lncome
managemenL, Lo lnclude non-lndlgenous people, Lhe programme, ls sull only enforced on Lhose
geographlcal areas ln whlch appear Lo conLaln dlsadvanLaged cluzens. now, wlLh Lhls lnformauon,
and Lhe prevlous menuoned background knowledge as Lo why Lhe n1L8 was orlglnally enacLed, lL
could be argued LhaL Lhe geographlcal areas ln whlch Lhe new forms of lncome managemenL have
been adopLed, could poLenually conLaln a greaLer populauon of lndlgenous people, Lhus, only
smaller populauons of non-lndlgenous people are belng LargeLed by Lhe governmenLs lncome
managemenL programme. 1hls could Lhere for suggesL LhaL alLhough Lhe 8udd CovernmenL
auempLed Lo recufy Lhe abolluon of Lhe 8uA, Lhe AusLrallan CovernmenLs are sull ln breach of
Lhelr human rlghL obllgauons.


8eference llsL:

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Luisa Battrick 3133417 4
8uckmasLer, L, Spooner, u and Margarey, k, 2012, lncome ManagemenL and Lhe 8aclal
ulscrlmlnauon AcL, vlewed 14 CcLober 2013, hup://www.aph.gov.au/AbouL_arllamenL/
arllamenLary_ueparLmenLs/arllamenLary_Llbrary/pubs/8n/2011-2012/lncomeManagemenL8uA

ueparLmenL of Puman Servlces, 2013, 'lncome ManagemenL', vlewed 13 CcLober 2013, hup://
www.humanservlces.gov.au/cusLomer/servlces/cenLrellnk/lncome-managemenL?uLm_ld=7
ueparLmenL of Soclal Servlces, 2013, Closlng Lhe Cap, vlewed 13 CcLober 2013, hup://
www.dss.gov.au/our-responslblllues/lndlgenous-ausLrallans/programs-servlces/closlng-Lhe-gap
laPCSlA, 2013, '11.1.3.30 rlorlLy needs under lncome ManagemenL', vlewed 13 CcLober 2013,
hup://guldesacLs.fahcsla.gov.au/guldes_acLs/ssg/ssgulde-11/ssgulde-11.1/ssgulde-11.1.3/
ssgulde-11.1.3.30.hLml
Couda, M, 2011, Welfare ManagemenL 'ulscrlmlnaLory', clLed on: hup://news.smh.com.au/
breaklng-news-nauonal/welfare-managemenL-dlscrlmlnaLory-gooda-20110310-1bpgd.hLml
vlewed 14 CcLober 2013
Macklln, !, Snowden, W, 2009, 'Ma[or welfare reforms Lo proLecL chlldren and sLrengLhen famllles',
Medla 8elease, vlewed 13 CcLober 2013
?eend, and uow, C, 2007. Soclal SecurlLy and CLher Leglslauon AmendmenL (Welfare aymenL
8eform) 8lll 2007, 8llls dlgesL, no. 27, 2007-08, Canberra, vlewed 13 CcLober 2013, hup://
www.aph.gov.au/blnarles/llbrary/pubs/bd/2007-08/08bd027.pdf

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