16th Aug 2007, 4:53 PM – Senate Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 - In Committee - Racial Discrimination Act

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

The majority voted against an amendment introduced by Labor Senator Chris Evans.

This amendment related to the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. The Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 currently contains a provision that says "The provisions of this Act, and any acts done under or for the purposes of those provisions, are excluded from the operation of Part II of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975". Senator Evans explained that Part II "is the section that prevents racial discrimination", which means that "we are passing a bill which the government says should not be subject to the Racial Discrimination Act’s prohibition on racial discrimination".(Read Senator Evans' whole explanation of his amendment here. )

Senator Evans said that the Labor party opposes this measure because they believe that "the measures in the bill, or the totality of the bill, can be considered special measures under the Racial Discrimination Act" and so the exclusion from Part II is unnecessary.

Background to the bills

The Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 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 Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform) 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).)