Greater consultation needed to lift Aboriginal people out of poverty
“Poor communities, which are often already in a situation of disempowerment, should not simply be treated as the passive recipients of plans or strategies developed nationally and imposed upon them from above.” Those are the words of Robyn Layton QC. The South Australian of the Year will be delivering this year’s Anti-Poverty Week Oration, ‘Empowering poor communities – good practices’, in Adelaide.
A former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia, Robyn Layton has championed human rights, from representing refugees to assisting Aboriginal people involved in legal issues and providing judicial education on human rights in various countries. Robyn speaks exclusively with Catherine Zengerer about the poverty issues facing Aboriginal people, and why in particular, she believes the Intervention and the introduction of the Basics Card is not helping.