16th Aug 2007, 5:45 PM – Senate Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007 - In Committee - Keep part 8 unchanged

The majority voted in favour of a motion "That part 8 stand as printed", which means that the majority wanted part 8 to remain unchanged. This motion was put in response to an earlier motion to oppose that part, which was introduced by Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.

Part 8 is a miscellaneous provision. It contains a number of technical provisions as well the doing the following:

• it allows the Minister to delegate any of their functions or powers under the proposed Act to the Secretary or an SES level officer; and
• it excludes the operation of any law of the NT which deal with discrimination.(Read more about part 8 in the bills digest.

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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).)