Speech to bill - Thursday, 28 June 2012

Senator RHIANNON (New South Wales) (19:19): These three Stronger Futures bills will undermine the human rights of Indigenous communities. It really does defy understanding why they have been brought forward in this form. Anything that is positive in the package will be rendered meaningless because they are so deeply discriminatory.

Commenting on the Stronger Futures legislation that passed the Senate last night on the combined vote of Labor and the Coalition, Greens Senator for NSW Lee Rhiannon said there was insufficient evidence to support extending the government’s controversial income management trial to Bankstown. 

The Greens tried to vote down the legislation, then tried to remove income management from the bill, but did not receive the support of the other parties. 

The Australian Greens have vowed to oppose the Bankstown trial of income management following last night's release of the Senate Inquiry into the Stronger Futures legislation report and evidence given to the committee questioning whether the government consulted with locals before announcing the Bankstown trial.

Bankstown is one of five locations nationally where the government is set to trial compulsory income management from 1 July 2012.