The Wire

With the Howard Government re-elected for an historic fourth term, one of the planned reforms that has disappeared from public attention is the abolishment of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). The closure has already begun at a national level, and next June services provided by regional councils will be completely taken over by mainstream government departments. Some people see the move as an attack on Indigenous rights and representation, while others say it’s a necessary step to true self-determination for Indigenous Australians. ATSIC’s Northern Zone Commissioner, Akarriyuwu Hill, maintains that the Territory will not lose its Indigenous voice when ATSIC is abolished. He says the NT already has a large number of Indigenous people involved in local councils, and the higher percentage of Aboriginal people within the population mix guarantees representation.