The end of ATSIC and the future administration of Indigenous affairs

Abstract

This paper discussed a range of issues raised by the government's announcement in April 2004 that it would abolish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, and the Labor opposition's announcement a few weeks earlier that it would do likewise in government. They provide a brief history of the administration of Indigenous affairs before ATSIC was established in 1989; an overview of how ATSIC worked, including its roles and functions, structure and governance, and funding arrangements; and an outline of the government's plans for Indigenous affairs policy-making and service-delivery post-ATSIC. They also canvass a range of broader issues raised by ATSIC's abolition, including the question of whether there is a continuing role for an elected Indigenous representative body in the Australian political system, and point out those areas where the Bill might go further than required or fail to take advantage of exceptions allowed.