INTRODUCTION

The Commonwealth Government led by Prime Minister John Howard announced a major intervention in the lives of people living on Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The announcement was made on 21 June 2007 as a response to extensive public debate over the incidence of child abuse in these communities. A large legislative package was subsequently introduced and passed by the Commonwealth Parliament in mid-August 2007. In opposition the federal Labor Party offered its support for the measures, although it expressed some reservations and sought unsuccessfully to amend aspects of the package. The newly elected Rudd Labor Government committed itself to review the Intervention after 12 months. It is currently engaged in discussions over what changes if any might occur prior to that review.

This Website Project is designed to contribute to the public debate over the Intervention. It will disaggregate the package that ranges over a broad range of legal, financial and other issues into its constituent parts. For each element the Project will present a brief Fact Sheet explaining the essence of the measure, the stated rationale for that measure provided by the Commonwealth Government at the time, the nature of the changes it brings, the main agencies involved and where the relevant legislation can be located. A second Evaluation Sheet will assemble some summary information about implementation of the measure to date.

Because of the breadth and complexity of the Intervention, the Fact Sheet and Evaluation Sheet for each element will be progressively posted on this website over time, as they are completed. To the extent that our resources permit, each sheet will also be updated as new information comes to hand. Where possible hyperlinks have been employed, to point users towards additional sources of information as well as indicate the sources relied upon in preparing the fact and evaluation sheets.

INCOME MANAGEMENT

Evaluation Sheet

COMMUNITY STORES

CDEP

PORNOGRAPHY