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PM hints at NT intervention expansion

1 September 2007 - Prime Minister John Howard has hinted at the long-term expansion of the Federal Government's intervention into the Northern Territory's Indigenous communities.

But Mr Howard has again been criticised by doctors over health checks carried out on Indigenous children as part of the intervention.

The Federal Government has committed $560 million to the intervention this financial year and during the week Mr Howard promised an extra 66 Australian Federal Police will be sent to the Territory.

Mr Howard has told NT Stateline, the Commonwealth is in the Territory for the long term, not just until the election.

"We will be making further statements about ongoing financial commitments, but it's a bit rich for the Northern Territory Government to be suggesting that this is just an election stunt," he said.

"That really is trivialising it and at any event I thought the Labor Party federally was in favour of it."

Health checks

While the Prime Minister maintains his health check teams as part of the intervention will significantly improve the lives of Indigenous children, the list of NT doctors opposing them is growing.

The health checks for Indigenous children under the age of 16 are a key component of the Commonwealth's response to the Little Children are Sacred report.

The Federal Government says the checks identify significant health issues and plan follow-up treatments.

But the director of Northern Territory Renal Services, Paul Lawton, disagrees.

"We don't see any ongoing care coming out of that package," he said.

Maningrida doctor Paul Burgess is another who has spoken publicly against the checks this week.

Both men say the territory's doctors would rather see more money being spent on providing sustainable resources for doctors who are experienced in Indigenous health.

Litter plan

Meanwhile, Mr Howard has defended a plan to punish school truants in the central Australian community of Yuendumu community by making them pick up rubbish.

The community's new Commonwealth-appointed business manager, Noel Mason, wants to draw up a list of children who skip school and then use police and the night patrol to make them pick up rubbish from around the community.

Mr Howard says he has not seen the detail of the plan, but such methods teach children a sense of responsibility.

"It's not unreasonable that if people miss school, that they are required to do reasonable things to make up for that - I mean that's a normal part of life," he said.

Source: Sydney Morning Herald online

Further information: NT intervention issues page - includes news index and external links