In the last week of June 2007 the Commonwealth Government announced it was taking 'emergency measures' to overcome violence, child abuse and alcohol abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

For information on
Places to take action
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The measures being taken were in response to the Northern Territory Government's report entitled Little children are sacred: Report of the NT Board of Inquiry into the protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse.

The response to the Prime Minister's announcement has been mixed.  Below we include some of these responses.

• YANQ made a brief response, calling instead for a treaty and recognition & support for Indigenous Languages.
• The Preliminary response from the Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the Northern Territory.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner, Tom Calma.
• Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Care (SNAICC).
• National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ecunemical Commission (NATSIEC).
• Joint Letter from the Community Sector , lead by ACOSS.
• Ian Anderson compares the Federal Government's response with the recommendations made in the Little Children Are Sacred report.
• Judy Atkinson asks what she would do, if she were the PM.
• Jennifer Martiniello investigates the politics behind the response.
• John Tomlinson summarises the Government's record on empowering Indigenous communities.
• Aletha Penrith critiques the leadership of Noel Pearson.
• Suzi Quixley's collection of responses & papers.
• Crikey's Reports on the Compulsary Seizures of Aboriginal Assets and the laying off of 8,000 Indigenous workers.