Indigenous health measures must respect human rights
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma delivered a major speech on Indigenous health and human rights in Adelaide last night, titled ‘Does the End Justify the Means?’ Quoting both the Prime Minister and Minister for Indigenous Affairs, he noted that if the stated aims and commitments they made when declaring a national emergency in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory were honored in real terms, it could provide the breakthrough that has been needed for decades. However, they must be backed up by resources and a respect for internationally recognised human rights. These include full and proper consultation with the people affected by any ‘intervention and the understanding that discrimination on the basis of race can never be justified. He was giving the annual Don Dunstan Oration in Adelaide.