Indigenous Australia for Dummies by Larissa Behrendt

Author:Larissa Behrendt [Behrendt, Larissa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, sociology, General, history, Australia & New Zealand
ISBN: 9780730390299
Google: A_EeEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Published: 2021-02-17T00:16:16.899523+00:00

The National Indigenous Council

The government established the National Indigenous Council to replace the elected arm of ATSIC. It operated from November 2004 to December 2007. The government made clear when it set up the Council that it wasn’t a replacement for ATSIC and it wasn’t a representative body. Council members were appointed by the federal government.

ELECTED VERSUS APPOINTED BODIES

The replacement of ATSIC with an appointed body raised several issues about the principles of representation. Appointed bodies are nothing new in the Indigenous arena; most Indigenous bodies have them, including the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC), Indigenous Business Australia (IBA) and Aboriginal Hostels.

The replacement of elected representatives at the national level by a group of hand-picked appointees fundamentally changed the nature of the advice given. The appointed positions didn’t have the legitimacy of being able to put forward views on behalf of Indigenous peoples and weren’t accountable to them in the way that the elected representatives were. Appointed representatives have no responsibility to represent broader Indigenous interests. They are appointed as individuals, often with specific expertise, and act in that capacity.

The new body was advisory only. It had no capacity to ensure that its advice was followed. In particular, the appointed body had no leverage with the bureaucracy. It was abolished when the Rudd government was elected.

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