Media release…Media release…Media release…Media release…Media release…

1 October 2008

“Not one day more”

National Convergence condemns delay to NT Intervention Review

“Every day the government stalls on repealing the NT Intervention is another day of unnecessary suffering for the Aboriginal people in the NT and another day that this racism shames our country,” said Monique Wiseman from Sydney.

Over 200 peope have travelled to Alice Springs this week to protest the intervention and support communities resisting the Intervention’s measures. The historic covergence brought together people from prescribed areas in Aboriginal communities, Aboriginal town camps and outstations, with supporters and working groups from Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney, Northern NSW, Melbourne, Darwin, Newcastle and Perth.

We don’t need a review to gauge the failure of the Intervention. Listening to elders escribe the humiliation an paid of welfare quarantines, store cards, and forced leasing of their homelands is enough,” said Lauren Mellor from Brisbane.

“The delay in release the Review findings, announced just one day before the deadline, is an outrage. Every week now Jenny Macklin is increasing pressure on communities to sign leases, and the government has spent millions to roll out a “smart card” to entrench the welfare quaratine. But submissions to the Review have slammed the paternalism at the heart of the Intervention. It’s no wonder the review board is in crisis and unable to release its findings,” continued Lauren.

“They can pass legislation to impose on us in one night, but with three months they still can’t assess the damage they’ve done”, said Barbara Shaw from Mt Nancy town Camp.

Yesterday interstate visitors listened to speakers from prescribed areas at a large rally that marched through central Alice Springs and out to “The Gap”, at the entrance of town.

“Yesterday we marched united through “The Gap”. This is a historic step to close the gap that the Howard government created between Aboriginal communities in the NT and urban Australia. The intervention has demonised Aboriginal people, said all our men are paedophiles, and we are all alcoholics and child abusers. Now people have come from around the country to see for themselves that we are suffering under this intervention,” said Barbara Shaw, the Mt Nancy resident who hosted visitors to camp on her property.

“People have travelled so far to show their support for our strong stand against these policies. Word will go out across the Territory that we have support in the cities,” continued Barbara.

Today groups have travelled to the affected communities in Mutitjulu, Yuendemu, and around the Tangentyere Council Alice Springs Town Camps. Traditional owners in these communities have invited visitors to come and stay in the communities and talk with residents.

“We are conducting a people’s review of the Intervention. People are telling us that the intervention has taken them backwards, for example to the days of the “dog-tag system” an rations. This return to the policies of assimilation shames us all. It exposes the lie in the Prime Minister’s vow in February to never return to the policies of the past,” said Monique.

For comment, call

Barbara Shaw: 0402129166,

Monique Wiseman 0415410558 (Sydney) or

Lauren Mellor 0413534125 (Brisbane).

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Source of media release:

Rollback the Intervention:

http://rollbacktheintervention.wordpress.com/media-release-1-october-2008/

This media release was posted by Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (WGAR) as a community service. Please note, WGAR is not the author of this media release.