Friday, 13 November 2009
Ensuring income management respects race and human rights
People across Australia will be able to assist the development of an important tool for governments when the Australian Human Rights Commission releases its Draft guidelines for ensuring income management measures are compliant with the Racial Discrimination Act for comment and feedback today.
“In the wake of the Northern Territory intervention, the issue of income management has become a much discussed topic in relation to the distribution of welfare payments in both Indigenous communities and general communities around Australia,” said Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes. “The intention of these guidelines is to provide assistance for ensuring that income management schemes, wherever they are implemented, do not discriminate against people on the basis of race.”
The guidelines aim to ensure that income management measures will both protect human rights and be consistent with the Race Discrimination Act. They are also intended to increase awareness in affected communities about the application of the Race Discrimination Act to income management regimes.
As they are intended to have this dual application, Commissioner Innes said it was critical that the guidelines be able to do both well.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma said, “When we are dealing with issues as sensitive as the management of welfare payments in order to protect individuals and communities from harm, it is absolutely imperative that the human rights of all the people involved are being protected, that nobody is disadvantaged in any way because of their race and that the affected people understand their rights.”
Commissioner Calma said it was critical that the guidelines provide a framework to ensure that competing human rights concerns can be balanced in a manner that is appropriate and consistent with Australia’s human rights obligations.
The draft guidelines are available on the Commission website at: www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/publications/RDA_income_management2009_draft.html
Comments should be provided to the Australian Human Rights Commission by 12 February 2010.
The Commission intends to finalise the guidelines by early 2010, following the completion of the feedback process.
Media contact: Brinsley Marlay 02 9284 9656 or 0430 366 529
