The Senate must act to stop the erosion of Indigenous representation

It is hard to find a credible high -profile Indigenous leader who supports the government’s proposal to abolish ATSIC and replace it with appointees.

The government position is unfolding and increasingly being seen to be unsustainable, unworkable and therefore unsupportable.

The Labor Party policy position was clear: it has never been policy to abolish ATSIC. Labor’s proposed framework is less clear. Nevertheless, Labor’s commitment to a national elected Indigenous body and a proper consultative process is fundamental, and remains intact.

There is a clear role and obligation - and now a clear case - for the Opposition, Greens, Democrats and Independents to block the government’s proposals in the Senate.

It is hard to see how Labor or any other party can claim it supports self-determination and then kill off a duly elected and independent Commission without a model to replace it.

There is a clear obligation on the Senate to exercise its role as a House of Review by rejecting and/or heavily amending the worst policy excesses of a zealous government and Prime Minister.

The sheer excess and extremism of what is being proposed, let alone the efficacy, demands that the whole thrust -as well as the detail and consequences of the government’s actions and proposals - must be properly, fully and carefully considered by the Parliament through the process of review given to the Senate by the constitution.

The Senate parties and the system of Senate review committees have a wealth of information and issues to properly weigh and consider.

This includes the ATSIC Review report, the detailed ATSIC Board and Regional Council Chairs’ responses and the framework already enunciated by the ALP’s Indigenous Affairs spokesperson and their Leader, Mark Latham.

While the Democrats, Greens and key Independents have also spelt out their concerns and position.

The vast majority of Indigenous Australians expect nothing less than that the Senate perform its role and act.