Unsurprisingly, the Rudd Government announced recently that Northern Territory Emergency Response in Aboriginal communities (more commonly known as 'the intervention') would continue. Initiated by the former Howard government in mid-2007, the intervention was supported by Labor in opposition and looks like it is here to stay for some time.
There are many indigenous people living in regional and remote communities who will greet this development with quiet relief. It will be seen as a sign of government determination to deal with the seemingly intractable problems of unemployment, housing, education, health, domestic violence and substance abuse. However there are others who see it as a continued interference into the lives of Aboriginal people and an intrusion into hard-won rights.
It is true that the suspension of the Racial Discrimination Act, which was required to bring some of the intervention into effect, sits oddly with a government now conducting a formal inquiry into the need for a broad Charter of Human Rights. How the government proposes to square that circle remains to be seen.
Yet for all the fine words, nearly two years into the intervention program and a year after the apology, progress on key indicators is painfully slow.
The government is right to continue with the intervention if they can truly 'close the gap' on indigenous health, education, employment and housing outcomes. This must be done as a matter of national priority as the situation is still dire in many communities. However as the intervention enters this longer phase, consultation and engagement with indigenous communities, including local churches, must remain a central aspect of developing lasting solutions.