Tuesday, 9 November 2004
Big task ahead for National Indigenous Council, says Social Justice Commissioner
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma today congratulated the members of the National Indigenous Council on their appointment and sets out some challenges for the Government and the Council.
"The members of the Council are experienced Indigenous Australians who are eminently qualified to advise Government on Indigenous policy, programs and service delivery," he said. "Many of the new Council members are known to me and their courage to become a member of the Council is a clear indication of their commitment to Indigenous affairs and firm belief that they can influence the Indigenous political agenda without compromising their integrity."
Mr Calma said it was an encouraging sign that the Council would work directly at the highest level of the Government through the Ministerial Taskforce on Indigenous Affairs. The challenge is now to see how the Ministerial Taskforce acts on their advice.
He said there were major challenges for both the Council and the Government to address in the immediate future. While the Council is not intended to replace the representative structures that existed through ATSIC, it will still need to show that it has a way of engaging with Indigenous communities and individuals, not just with Government.
"There remains a clear need for an Indigenous representative voice to advise Government from the grass roots and self determination perspectives. I am confident, however, that the Council can work alongside Indigenous individuals, communities and organisations to promote better outcomes and human rights protection for Indigenous peoples. Indigenous Australians have an opportunity - and indeed, a responsibility- to lobby Council members on what future form Indigenous representation should take and to keep their issues on the table."
For the Government, it has made clear that the Council is an expert body as opposed to a representative Indigenous voice. This raises two main challenges - first, the Government needs to outline a clear and meaningful mandate for the Council and then to respect and implement the advice given by the Council. Second, it must ensure that Indigenous people and communities can meaningfully participate in decision making that affects their daily lives. "The existence of the Council will not be able to be used as a proxy for meaningfully engaging with Indigenous communities and individuals," said Mr Calma.
As Social Justice Commissioner I have a role to monitor the status of Indigenous human rights through the annual Social Justice Report to Parliament. This year's report - due to be tabled in Parliament by March 2005- and subsequent reports will focus on whether Government is meeting the commitments it has made to Indigenous peoples and whether they heed the advice of the Council. "I look forward to working with the new Council and wish them success for their future endeavours."
Media enquiries: Janine MacDonald, (02) 9284 9880 or 0407 660 235
Last updated 9 Nevember 2004.
