VZCZCXRO9564
PP RUEHPT
DE RUEHBY #1141/01 3180532
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 130532Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CANBERRA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0503
INFO RUEHBN/AMCONSUL MELBOURNE PRIORITY 5755
RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH PRIORITY 4025
RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY PRIORITY 3964

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CANBERRA 001141 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AS PGOV PHUM SOCI
SUBJECT: INTERVENTION REVIEW FUELS POLITICAL AND SOCIAL 
DEBATE 
 
REF: CANBERRA 956 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary:  Sixteen months after the Australian 
government mounted a controversial intervention in indigenous 
communities in the Northern Territory to combat reported 
widespread sexual abuse of Aboriginal children, a review 
panel has concluded that the emergency remains acute and has 
endorsed continuation of the intervention.  The review board 
has recommended ending a blanket income management system, 
reinstating the permit system used to restrict access to 
native land, reinstating the Racial Discrimination Act and 
compensating traditional owners for compulsory acquisition of 
their land.  The report also recommended a health service 
delivery initiative for child and family health be made 
permanent with urgent priority given to ongoing treatment of 
children with health and dental issues identified by 
mandatory child health checks.  Indigenous leaders and other 
opponents of the intervention have accused the government of 
watering-down criticism in the report while adding statements 
endorsing continuation of the intervention.  The government 
denies interference.  Indigenous leaders are bitterly divided 
over the recommendations.  End Summary. 
 
The Review Process and Result 
 
¶2.  (U) Established by bipartisan agreement in 2007 to 
conduct an independent and transparent review of the first 12 
months of the intervention --  known formally as the Northern 
Territory Emergency Response (NTER) - the NTER Board was 
tasked with assessing progress in improving the safety and 
well-being of children and laying a sustainable basis for 
improvement of conditions in remote communities in the 
Northern Territory.  For approximately three months the Board 
traveled throughout the Northern Territory, visiting 31 
Aboriginal communities and speaking with representatives of 
56 communities together with government representatives and 
service delivery agencies.  They received over 200 public 
submissions.  The reviewers said they focused heavily on 
these consultations because of the absence of sound baseline 
data upon which to judge progress.  Despite rumors the 
original draft of the report was highly critical of the 
intervention, the final report states: "The situation in 
remote communities and town camps was - and 
 remains- sufficiently acute to be described as a national 
emergency.  The NTER should continue." 
 
The Debate 
 
¶3.  (U) The review drew an immediate attack from some 
prominent Aboriginal leaders who said a tough approach needs 
to be maintained to reverse entrenched problems in Indigenous 
communities.  Recommendations of the NTER include an end to a 
blanket income management system, under which all Aboriginal 
welfare payments are heavily controlled, the reinstatement of 
the Racial Discrimination Act, and for traditional owners to 
be compensated for the compulsory acquisition of their land. 
The architect of the intervention, previous indigenous 
minister Mal Brough, attacked the report, arguing that he had 
always predicted the Rudd government would go soft on the 
intervention.  Brough warned that the watering-down of 
compulsory income management would be dangerous for children. 
 Northern Territory Deputy Chief Minister Marion Scrymgour 
said she was concerned about plans to make income management 
voluntary citing a positive effect by income management on 
school attendance in bush communities .  Arnhem Land leader 
Galarrwuy Yunupi 
ngu criticized the report for failing to give "any real 
direction".  On the other side are leaders such as Northern 
Qdirection".  On the other side are leaders such as Northern 
Land Council chairman Wali Wunungmurra who supported the 
recommendations of the review board, arguing the Howard 
government's approach to the intervention breached human 
rights. 
 
The Government View 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Prime Minister Rudd appears to have no appetite for 
the polarized nature of the debate, stating the government 
has no "ideology" on this but rather "is driven by one thing: 
how do you close the gap between indigenous and 
non-indigenous Australians and what in practical terms makes 
that work".  Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said 
the government would base its decisions on the future of the 
intervention not solely on the review but on "a number of 
pieces of evidence" including the NTER Review Board report. 
 
Comment 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Australian and Northern Territory governments 
endorse the need to "reset" the relationship with Aboriginal 
communities and move to develop and maintain a community 
 
CANBERRA 00001141  002 OF 002 
 
 
development framework.  The reality of implementation, 
divided leadership, competing priorities, funding questions, 
and lack of quantified outcomes make this a political hot 
potato that has landed squarely in the lap of Minister 
Macklin.  Indigenous people make up approximately 2.5 percent 
of the total population in Australia but 30 percent of the 
population of the Northern Territory.  If successful, the 
direction the NTER intervention takes will determine how the 
government supports other state efforts to close the gap 
between living conditions for indigenous and non-indigenous 
Australians. 
 
MCCALLUM