The recommendations of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) review report provide an opportunity to refocus the Federal Government’s efforts from an emergency to community development approach in improving the lives of Northern Territory Aboriginal children.

Central to this should be the restoration of protections afforded by the Racial Discrimination Act, including changes to racially-based, compulsory income management arrangements.

The Federal Government should not have waited a year to introduce an incentive based response to the NT Intervention, tailored to the needs of individual communities, Indigenous rights organisation, ANTaR said today.

ANTaR National Director, Gary Highland said that Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin’s response to the Northern Territory Emergency Response Review had continued the blanket, one size fits all approach of the former Government.

Government, the Opposition and minor parties should unanimously support the recommendations of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER) review report, according to Indigenous rights organisation, ANTaR.

ANTaR National Director, Gary Highland said the report, written by Aboriginal leaders, Peter Yu and Marcia Ella Duncan and former senior public servant, Bill Gray AM, was comprehensive and balanced and provided a blueprint for improving the NTER.