There is nothing new in this UN Special Rapporteur's Report on the Northern Territory Emergency Response (“NTER”) program in Australia though it bears repeating. This advanced edition, written in preparation for possible governmental reforms this year, states that the current program is 'incompatible with Australia’s human rights obligations'. Furthermore, it noted that other UN agencies such as The Human Rights Committee and the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 'have expressed concern that NTER measures are inconsistent with Australia’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, respectively, in particular with respect to the right to non-discrimination'. These intervention measures also 'undermine indigenous self-determination, limit control over property, inhibit cultural integrity and restrict individual autonomy'.

Meanwhile, it is reported that the Labor government may proceed to dump the country's nuclear waste in the Northern Territory. Says Toohey in Punch:

'After taking power in 2007, Labor’s Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson, continued to say it would repeal the legislation, and that dump was needed. But that’s all he would say. His office became hostile to inquiries from the Northern Territory media. He deeply frustrated Territory citizens on his refusal to give any insight whatsoever into his thoughts on whether the dump would still be located at Muckaty.

There was no public consultation at all; no discussion - just an announcement this week that it would happen. No Labor minister would have ever dared treat the citizens of any other state in this way'.

Or to sum up in another commentator's words, 'Overall then, the Minister [Federal Resources Minister, Martin Ferguson] is pursing an approach which is scarcely less draconian than that of the Howard government'.