Northern Territory National Emergency Response facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Northern Territory National Emergency Response, often called "The Intervention", was a set of special rules for Indigenous Australians in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia. These rules lasted from 2007 to 2012. They changed how support payments (welfare) were given out and how education, jobs, and health services worked in the Territory.

The Intervention started because of new laws passed by the Australian Government in August 2007. The government at the time, led by John Howard, said these changes were needed because of a report called Little Children are Sacred. This report, published in June 2007, looked into ways to keep children safe in the NT.

However, many people disagreed with the Intervention. The Northern Territory's own government, the Australian Human Rights Commission, and several Aboriginal leaders criticised it. A report in 2008 from the Human Rights Commission suggested that the numbers for confirmed child safety issues didn't fully support the idea that there was a huge problem everywhere, which was the main reason given for the Intervention.

The laws for the Intervention were changed four times by later governments, led by Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. In July 2012, the Gillard government ended the original Intervention laws. However, they replaced them with new laws called Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act 2012, which kept many of the same rules.

Why the Intervention Started
Key Moments of the Intervention
Laws Involved
What the Intervention Did
Reactions and Discussions
What Happened After
See also

Why the Intervention Started

The Intervention was introduced just before the 2007 Australian federal election. The government at the time, led by John Howard, was trying to win another election. Some people thought the policy was influenced by public opinion. However, it also had support from the main opposition party, Labor, and some Aboriginal leaders.

Experts who looked at why the Intervention happened pointed to three main things:

First, the Little Children are Sacred report was used as a key reason.
Second, it wasn't always clear how the Intervention's rules directly helped with keeping children safe.
Third, there wasn't enough talk with Aboriginal people and their leaders about the changes.

The Intervention also came at a time when there was a lot of discussion about how much power the federal government should have over states and territories. Normally, states and territories manage things like health and education. But in 2007, the federal government also stepped in to help with other areas like seaports and hospitals. The Northern Territory government could not stop the federal government from making these changes, unlike state governments which have more protected powers.

Key Moments of the Intervention

The Intervention officially began on 21 June 2007. Mal Brough, who was the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, announced a special team led by Magistrate Sue Gordon. This team was set up to put into action at least 12 measures in the Northern Territory.

These measures included:

Changes to how support payments (welfare) were given out.
Required health checks for all Aboriginal children.
The government taking over control of Aboriginal towns through five-year leases.
More police, with help from other areas.
The army helping with supplies and watching over things.
Appointing managers for all government services in certain communities.
Improving housing, but with new rules for paying rent.

These actions were said to be a response to the Little Children are Sacred report. This report, finished in April 2007, suggested that keeping Aboriginal children safe in the Northern Territory was a very urgent national issue. However, only two of the report's 97 suggestions were actually put into action by the Intervention. Even though it was criticised, the Emergency Response had support from both major political parties.

The main law, the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007, became official on 17 August 2007. It was changed four times by the next governments.

When the Rudd Government took over in 2007, they changed the law twice in 2008. Then, when Julia Gillard became Prime Minister in 2010, her government also made two changes. One important change in 2010 stopped the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, which meant the Intervention's rules could no longer ignore this act.

In June 2011, Prime Minister Gillard visited Northern Territory communities. She said, "I believe the Intervention has made a difference." She mentioned that children were getting meals, and there were better health results and fewer serious attacks. But she also said more work was needed for housing and that Indigenous voices should be heard more.

The original 2007 law was officially ended on 16 July 2012. It was replaced by the Stronger Futures in the Northern Territory Act 2012. This new law, which is still in place as of December 2020, kept many of the rules from the original Intervention.

Laws Involved

The main laws that made up the Intervention included:

The Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007.
The Social Security and Other Legislation Amendment (Welfare Payment Reform) Act 2007.
The Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Other Legislation Amendment (Northern Territory National Emergency Response and Other Measures) Act 2007.
Two laws about funding: the Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Act (No. 1) 2007–2008 and the Appropriation (Northern Territory National Emergency Response) Act (No. 2) 2007–2008.

A key part of the 2007 law was that it said its rules were "special measures" under the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. This meant they were allowed to be different, even if they treated people differently based on race. However, this special exemption from the Racial Discrimination Act ended in 2010.

What the Intervention Did

The Intervention involved about $587 million (Australian dollars). It started when the Northern Territory National Emergency Response Act 2007 was passed in August 2007.

Here are some of the main things it did:

Sent more police to communities.
Compulsorily took over control of towns that were under Native Title through five-year leases.
Provided federal money for community services.
Removed traditional Aboriginal law and cultural practices from being considered in court cases for bail or sentencing.
Stopped the permit system that controlled who could enter Aboriginal communities.
Set aside a part of support payments for all people in certain communities. This part had to be used for essential goods. For parents judged to have neglected their children, all their support payments were managed this way.
Ended the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), which provided jobs and training in communities.

Reactions and Discussions

Even though the Intervention had support from both major political parties in Parliament, it was criticised by the Northern Territory government, the Australian Human Rights Commission, and many Aboriginal leaders. However, some other community groups and Aboriginal leaders also strongly supported it.

The Australian Human Rights Commission's 2008 report said that the official numbers for confirmed child safety issues in 2005–2006 didn't seem to back up the idea of widespread problems in NT communities, which was the reason given for the Intervention.

Concerns About the Racial Discrimination Act

One of the biggest criticisms was that the Intervention ignored parts of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Also, the government taking control of communities and changing the permit system were seen as going against important principles about Aboriginal land rights in Australia.

In 2010, James Anaya, a special reporter for the United Nations, said the Emergency Response was racially unfair and went against the human rights of Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. He agreed that urgent action was needed but felt that managing people's support payments limited their freedom.

Groups like Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) argued that ignoring the Racial Discrimination Act was not necessary to keep children safe.

Lack of Consultation

Many critics also pointed out that Aboriginal community leaders were not properly consulted about the Intervention. They also noted that the Intervention didn't follow many of the specific suggestions from the Little Children are Sacred Report. Instead, it brought in many new rules that the report didn't suggest.

While some groups like the Australian Greens supported Anaya's report, it was widely criticised in Australia. The Indigenous Affairs Minister at the time, Jenny Macklin, said her main duty was to protect children's rights. Opposition leader Tony Abbott questioned if Anaya had spoken enough with people who had lived through the Intervention.

Other Criticisms

The Intervention faced criticism from various groups:

A report from 1999 about violence in Indigenous communities was not acted upon until 2001.
A meeting in 2006 about violence and child safety issues showed problems between federal and territory governments, but no further action was taken.
The United Nations was concerned about the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act.

In May 2011, Aboriginal leaders from the Northern Territory met with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. They said that things had gotten worse under the Intervention. They felt there was more unfair treatment and less respect for their land. They also said Aboriginal people were being pressured to sign leases for land they already owned, which they saw as a "land grab."

Some analysis of speeches by the Prime Minister and Indigenous Affairs Minister at the time suggested that their words made it seem like they were the heroes. This way of speaking made it easier to ignore the suggestions from the Little Children are Sacred report.

Support for the Intervention

Some Aboriginal people and activists, like Noel Pearson, Marcia Langton, and Bess Price, supported the Intervention. While they had some criticisms, they believed it was necessary and helpful.

Noel Pearson supported the focus on alcohol and policing, and putting conditions on support payments. He said that only people who were not managing their payments well should have conditions placed on them.

Marcia Langton argued that the Intervention was not just a political trick. She believed it was the result of many failed policies and problems with how responsibilities were shared between the federal government and the Northern Territory. She hoped it would lead to new ways of thinking about Indigenous affairs.

Warren Mundine, another Aboriginal leader, spoke against critics in 2010. He asked, "What is detrimental about the protecting of children, the protecting of women against physical assault?" He believed policies were needed to deal with attacks on women.

In 2011, after more than three years of the Intervention, Central Australian Indigenous leader Bess Price said she supported it. She told ABC television, "I've seen progress. I've seen women who now have voices. They can speak for themselves and they are standing up for their rights. Children are being fed and young people more or less know how to manage their lives."

What Happened After

In 2017, a study looked at the income management scheme from the Intervention. This study found that it had a negative effect on children. It was linked to less school attendance and lower birth weights for babies.