KG: Yalda Hakim with that report. And the welfare of children is also high on the agenda for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma. Earlier this week Mr Calma launched his 2007 Social Justice and Native Title reports, and he joins me now. Tom, thanks for your time.

Tom Calma: Always a pleasure, Karla.

KG: Well, firstly, your report is very critical of the Northern Territory intervention and you're proposing a 10-point plan to improve the situation. What is the main thrust of this plan?

Tom Calma, ATSI Social Justice Commissioner: Well, it is critical in the sense that the legislation is racist. They have suspended the Race Discrimination Act and the Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Act. There is authority for bureaucrats in communities to do things that won't be able to be tested if they do them inappropriately. So that's what I'm critical about. The 10-point plan really looks at it from a couple of different aspects. One is looking at how do you remove the racist elements from that legislation, and that is really reinstating the protections of the Race Discrimination Act so that Territory Aboriginal people can enjoy the same protections as all other Australians. And the other is to really look at the ways that the complaints handling process goes within the Centrelink program so that anybody who has a concern about the way Centrelink is delivering their programs will be able to get external scrutiny not just the internal scrutiny that exists for them, so they can enjoy the same rights as other people to go to a tribunal or to go to the courts after if they have a serious complaint.

KG: OK, the report also refers to negative media coverage of Indigenous Australia through the intervention. What effect is this having on the community, and do you think it is important to highlight the crisis being faced by Indigenous communities?

Tom Calma: Well, I think highlighting the crisis is important, raising the whole attention of the Australian population about the plight of Aboriginal-Islander people in remote communities - in the Northern Territory in this case, but also commonly shared across Australia - is important. But we also need - the media also needs to focus on the successes to help build the self-esteem, build the confidence of Aboriginal-Islander people. And I cite in my report 19 different case studies of very successful programs around Australia where Aboriginal-Islander people have been taking forward and taking control of initiatives to address family violence and child abuse. And it think it is important that we also reflect on those and learn those lessons to take forward.

KG: Now, your report also focuses on family violence and you have made several recommendations with regards to this. What are you proposing be done to tackle this issue?

Tom Calma: Well, I think in the Northern Territory for the intervention we need to move away from it being an emergency measure to one of a capacity development, community development focus, so that we can build the confidence and the capacity of Aboriginal-Islander people to be able to take it forward. What I point out is the lessons that we have learnt are that if it is people-centred, if it is something that is generated from the community and the community is given the option to take control of their own affairs, they will do that, but they need the support of government - and this is both Federal and Territory governments - to be able to address these. There needs to be adequate funding and there needs to be, you know, the less staid approach that governments have and to be much more flexible and to be more innovative and let Aboriginal people show Government how that can be done.

KG: Now, the Federal Government issued a response to your Social Justice Report that the 'Australian' newspaper yesterday referred to as a "snub". How do you react to Jenny Macklin's response to your report?

Tom Calma: Well, I think firstly the 'Australian' misunderstands what my role is. It is report to the Parliament of Australia about how Indigenous Australians are enjoying their human rights. The report was actually tabled on the last day of sitting of the previous sitting of parliament. I expect that it will be discussed further once parliament resumes and it is really a report that the parliament - more than just Jenny Macklin - but the parliament needs to consider. And so I don't see it as a snub, I see it as appropriate that the minister has said that she will consider it or the independent reviewer looking at the intervention will consider those. And the way it is structured, there is a lot of good information for the Government to consider in how to make the intervention much more palatable.

KG: OK, Tom, we do thank you very much for your time.

Tom Calma: Thank you, Karla.

KG: And that was Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma. Still to come on Living Black - tackling the issue of youth crime and alcohol abuse in the Queensland town of Woorabinda.