Australia: Indigenous autonomy matters

In 2007 the former federal government introduced a far-reaching intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. The government claimed that the coercive measures outlined in this policy were aimed at combating child abuse and welfare dependency, arguing that old approaches - such as self-determination - had not worked. In contrast, Sarah Maddison argues that meaningful self-determination has never in fact been tried in Australia, and is likely to be far more effective in addressing indigenous disadvantage than the overtly xenophobic and paternalistic approaches evident in the current policy approach. © 2009 Society for International Development.