Responding to a recent report released last week, showing that sexual abuse of children was rampant in the Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory; Mr. Howard said the Commonwealth government would use its constitutional power to take over about 60 Indigenous communities through five-year leases with just-terms compensation.
In addition to the take-over, the PM has also announced a free compulsory medical assessment for all Indigenous children living in the Northern Territory, who are under the age of 16. Further a ban will be enforced against X-rated pornography and alcohol in some areas.
The recent government-sanctioned report said that 'a river of grog' was destroying Indigenous society and it posed a grave threat to the safety of Indigenous children since it was used as a 'bartering tool' to procure children for sex.
In Federal Parliament, Mr. Howard reacted to the report saying that, "It is a national emergency…..(where) we're dealing with a group of young Australians for whom the concept of childhood innocence has never been present."
The Opposition Leader, Kevin Rudd told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that all levels of government have failed Indigenous children and he has given his support to this radical change.
Media reports have estimated the Aboriginal population to be around 400,000 to 460,000 people, constituting 2% of the total Australian population. It is widely known that they are the most disadvantage group in Australian society where they are more likely to be incarcerated, suffer more health problems and die prematurely compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts.