Australia: SBS television's bogus debate on Northern Territory intervention

While “Insight” rarely achieves these aims, its March 18 program in particular was a travesty. In fact, the 60-minute program had nothing to do “face to face debate”. It was a crude promotion of the federal government’s police-military intervention into Northern Territory’s Aboriginal communities.

Among those participating were Jenny Macklin, the federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, Tony Abbott, the Liberal Party’s shadow minister, Dr Sue Gordon, chair of the taskforce overseeing the intervention and Graham Kelly, NT’s assistant commissioner of police. All are open supporters of the intervention, which was initiated last June by the Howard government and is being expanded by the Rudd Labor government.

Contrary to government and media claims that Aboriginal communities are benefiting from the intervention, it tears up fundamental legal and political rights and slashes much-needed welfare programs. The provisions include the “quarantining” or partial seizure of all welfare payments and pensions in targeted communities, acquisition of Aboriginal land, suspension of the 1975 federal Racial Discrimination Act, and the installation of community business managers with wide-ranging powers.