Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Encyclopedia
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) (1990–2005) was the Australia
n Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders
were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives. A number of indigenous programs and organisations fell under the overall umbrella of ATSIC.
's Labor government
through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (the ATSIC Act), which took effect on 5 March 1990.
While ATSIC's existence was always subject to the oversight of governments, who represent all Australians, ATSIC was a group of elected individuals whose main goal was the oversights that happened to Indigenous Australians
. This included:
The chairpersons of ATSIC were:
ATSIC'S Deputy chairs included:
, and the embezzlement
of ATSIC's funds, that were originally intended for service delivery to help Aborigines.
Soon after this the Howard
government began to remove some of ATSIC's fiscal powers, which were transferred to a new independent organisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services
(ATSIS).
The government ultimately suspended Geoff Clark as Chairperson of ATSIC in 2003 (Lionel Quartermaine was acting Chairperson). After a court appeal Clark was briefly reinstated.
had been expressing doubts as to the value of continuing to have ATSIC at all. Following Mark Latham
's election to the leadership of the (Labor) Opposition in December 2003, Labor also accepted that ATSIC had not worked. In March of election year 2004, both parties pledged to introduce alternative arrangements for indigenous affairs.
The government's plan was to abolish ATSIC and all its regional and state structures, and return funding for indigenous programs to the relevant line departments. Labor's view was that ATSIC itself should be abolished, but many of the regional and state sub-organisations should be retained, to continue to give indigenous people a voice in their own affairs and within their own communities.
It rejected the notion of merging indigenous funding into funding for Australians generally as 'tried and failed', but had not announced its alternative proposals.
On 28 May 2004 the Howard
government introduced into the Federal Parliament legislation to abolish ATSIC. After a delay the Bill finally passed both houses of Parliament
in 2005. ATSIC was formally abolished at midnight 24 March 2005.
The policy and coordination role is now the responsibility of the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
in the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
from 27 January 2006 (previously with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
).
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders
Torres Strait Islanders are the indigenous people of the Torres Strait Islands, part of Queensland, Australia. They are culturally and genetically linked to Melanesian peoples and those of Papua New Guinea....
were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives. A number of indigenous programs and organisations fell under the overall umbrella of ATSIC.
Establishment
ATSIC was established by Bob HawkeBob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
's Labor government
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 (the ATSIC Act), which took effect on 5 March 1990.
While ATSIC's existence was always subject to the oversight of governments, who represent all Australians, ATSIC was a group of elected individuals whose main goal was the oversights that happened to Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
. This included:
- people from the many Aboriginal communities on the Australian mainland, TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and other off-shore islands, and - the ethnically distinct people from the many Melanesian communities inhabiting the islands of the Torres StraitTorres StraitThe Torres Strait is a body of water which lies between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is approximately wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost continental extremity of the Australian state of Queensland...
, collectively known as Torres Strait Islanders. Later the Torres Strait Regional AuthorityTorres Strait Regional AuthorityThe Torres Strait Regional Authority is an Australian Government body established to administer the Torres Strait Islands.The TSRA consists of 20 elected representatives....
took over responsibility for programs in the Torres Strait IslandsTorres Strait IslandsThe Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
.
The chairpersons of ATSIC were:
- Lowitja O'DonoghueLowitja O'DonoghueMs Lowitja "Lois" O'Donoghue, AC, CBE, DSG is an Aboriginal Australian retired public administrator.She was named Australian of the Year in 1984 and 1990, and was inaugural chairperson of the now dissolved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission .-Personal life:Lowitja O'Donoghue was the...
1990-96 - Gatjil DjerrkuraGatjil DjerrkuraGatjil Djerrkura OAM was an Aboriginal leader and indigenous spokesman in the Northern Territory and Australia.He was a senior elder of the Wangurri Aboriginal clan of the Yolngu people...
1996-2000 - Geoff Clark 2000-2004
- Lionel Quartermaine (Acting) 2003-2004
ATSIC'S Deputy chairs included:
- Ray RobinsonRay RobinsonRayford Harold Robinson was an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1936....
(ATSIC Deputy Chairperson)
Corruption investigations
In 2003, ATSIC became embroiled in controversy over litigation surrounding its Chairperson Geoff Clark, relating to his alleged participation in a number of gang rapes in the 1970s and 1980s. ATSIC was also investigated for financial corruptionPolitical corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
, and the embezzlement
Embezzlement
Embezzlement is the act of dishonestly appropriating or secreting assets by one or more individuals to whom such assets have been entrusted....
of ATSIC's funds, that were originally intended for service delivery to help Aborigines.
Soon after this the Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
government began to remove some of ATSIC's fiscal powers, which were transferred to a new independent organisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services was part of the now disbanded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission.It was responsible for service provision under Australian Government programs for Indigenous Australians...
(ATSIS).
The government ultimately suspended Geoff Clark as Chairperson of ATSIC in 2003 (Lionel Quartermaine was acting Chairperson). After a court appeal Clark was briefly reinstated.
Abolition
For some time after Geoff Clark's appointment, the Howard GovernmentHoward Government
The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...
had been expressing doubts as to the value of continuing to have ATSIC at all. Following Mark Latham
Mark Latham
Mark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
's election to the leadership of the (Labor) Opposition in December 2003, Labor also accepted that ATSIC had not worked. In March of election year 2004, both parties pledged to introduce alternative arrangements for indigenous affairs.
The government's plan was to abolish ATSIC and all its regional and state structures, and return funding for indigenous programs to the relevant line departments. Labor's view was that ATSIC itself should be abolished, but many of the regional and state sub-organisations should be retained, to continue to give indigenous people a voice in their own affairs and within their own communities.
It rejected the notion of merging indigenous funding into funding for Australians generally as 'tried and failed', but had not announced its alternative proposals.
On 28 May 2004 the Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
government introduced into the Federal Parliament legislation to abolish ATSIC. After a delay the Bill finally passed both houses of Parliament
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
in 2005. ATSIC was formally abolished at midnight 24 March 2005.
The policy and coordination role is now the responsibility of the Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination
The Office of Indigenous Policy Coordination has been a division within the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs from 24 January 2006...
in the Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (Australia)
The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs is an Australian Government department. Its main office is located in Southern Canberra in the suburb of Greenway. Its role is to develop social policies and support affected Australian society and the living standards...
from 27 January 2006 (previously with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (Australia)
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship is an Australian Government department. It is responsible for immigration arrangements, border control, citizenship, ethnic affairs, multicultural affairs. For the 2008-09 financial year, DIAC had an annual operating budget of A$1.7...
).
External links
- ATSIC web site - Archive from Pandora, the Australian National Web Archiving Project.