SENATE COMMITTEE BACKS CONCERNS OVER NORTHERN TERRITORY BILLS

Congress welcomed recent questions raised by a Senate Scrutiny Committee over unanswered issues contained in the Stronger Futures legislation introduced to continue the intervention in the Northern Territory.

The Senate’s Scrutiny of Bills Committee examines proposed laws for inappropriately applied power or infringing on rights and liberties.

In a digest released this week the Committee has asked the Government to explain and justify why some measures are appropriate.

Congress Co-Chair, Les Malezer says this adds strength to calls for the legislation to be withdrawn and assessed against human rights criteria like other bills.

The Committee asked if the measures are truly ‘special measures’ for benefit of the communities involved, said Mr Malezer.

Congress does not believe some components meet the requirements and are in fact racially discriminatory.

These elements separate our rights from other Australians and exacerbate discrimination against our peoples.

This committee seeks clarification on the application of both administrative and legislative power and trespass on personal rights and liberties in the application of special measures.

These areas are in the uneven application of alcohol management issues, land reform measures, community store licences, provision of information and restricted material.

See the Congress Submission to the Community Affairs Committee inquiring into the bills here.

See the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee February Alert Digest here.

Scrutiny of Bills Committee’s Terms of Reference:

(1) (a) At the commencement of each Parliament, a Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills shall be appointed to report, in respect of the clauses of bills introduced into the Senate, and in respect of Acts of the Parliament, whether such bills or Acts, by express words or otherwise:
(i) trespass unduly on personal rights and liberties;
(ii) make rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent upon insufficiently defined administrative powers;
(iii) make rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent upon non-reviewable decisions;
(iv) inappropriately delegate legislative powers; or
(v) insufficiently subject the exercise of legislative power to parliamentary scrutiny.

Download the pdf of the Media Release here.