Women for Wik respectfully support the Yolgnu Elders’ Statement  in their determined  opposition to The Stronger Futures Legislation.

This legislation  will  undermine the human rights of Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory until 2022  – and will renew and even expand some of the harshest measures under the Howard Government’s’ Northern Territory Emergency Response for ten more years according to ANTar.

We  join an increasing number of national  organisations and concerned individuals supporting this important Statement.

Opponents of the Bill include former PM Malcolm Fraser, Australian Bishops, Religious  and Leaders of the Congregation;  The Uniting Church of Australia;  The Archdiocese of Sydney’s Aboriginal Catholic Ministry;  The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council); Concerned Australians;   ANTAR; the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council;  musicians Paul Kelly, Neil Murray and Archie Roach; the  Institute of Sisters of Mercy;  ACM of Melbourne and Sydney; The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Children  and St Vincent de Paul Society National Council.

The vast majority of the 454 submissions received were against the legislation, most showing the government’s failure to show real evidence that the Stronger Futures model has or can  improve their lives,  and more than 35,000 people signed the petition opposing it.

Rosie Scott, Eva Cox, Pamela Hewitt, Cat Kutay, Christine Olsen