I request that you vote against the bill ‘Welfare Reform and Reinstatement of the Racial Discrimination Act’. Appropriate amendments must be negotiated and made, as Senators have had very little time to study the 95 submissions, majority of which oppose the bill. These amendments need to be considered in light of the report from Australian Indigenous Doctors Association, the Menzies School and other health professionals, expressing grave concern regarding the failure to improve health under the Intervention and sometimes even hindering improvements.
This bill will not fully reinstate the 1975 Racial Discrimination Act, and in its proposed form will continue to breach the UN declaration on Indigenous Rights and continue to face international scrutiny. The discrimination created by the bill, particularly in areas such as compulsory income management, causes profound negative impacts on psychological health, social well-being and cultural integrity, all of which will resonate for years to come. The blanket action designated arbitrarily by a Minister means that all residents of an area face the same ruling, regardless of management ability and caring capacity. Let’s not let the past dictate the future.