The Howard government's review did not recommend abolishing ATSIC

Have a look at the following paragraph on page seven, Senator.

As the findings of this report show, there is widespread support for the objectives of ATSIC and a commitment to work constructively with it from all levels of government and other sectors of the Australian society. Reform to capitalise on this goodwill and commitment cannot come too soon.

Or try page 23:

In the course of this review there have been many suggestions about ATSIC and the way it has evolved, with criticisms levelled at nearly all aspects of its structure, role and operation. However, the overwhelming view expressed to the panel was ATSIC should continue to operate as the national representative organization ...

The review panel report made two over-arching recommendations.

The first, the existing objects of the ATSIC Act, should be retained.

The second, ATSIC should be the primary vehicle to represent Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' views to all levels of government and be an agent for positive change in the development of policies and programs to advance the interests of Indigenous Australians.

Unfortunately, SBS scores a small share of the national television audience.

To the bulk of Australians, Insight is out of sight. More's the pity.

Hopefully the comments from Jackie Huggins will be picked up and ventilated in the national parliament when debate ensues on Howard's Bill.

The more I look at this whole grubby exercise the more it appears to be an attempt by the Howard government to kill off the ATSIC Board's High Court challenge to the first step in its mainstreaming campaign with the establishment of ATSIS.

The current carve-up of ATSIS programs looks for all the world to be the fevered actions of a government putting in place the regime its lawyers instructed it to implement last year ahead of the establishment of ATSIS (as exclusively reported upon by NIT).

Bring on the parliamentary debate and a Senate committee of inquiry.

Let's find out how the Howard Cabinet was able to agree to legislation seeking the abolition of ATSIC against the specific recommendations of its own million-dollar review, with no cabinet submission, no consultation with or support from Aboriginal people, and no consultation with the states or territories.

At the very least people like Jackie Huggins deserve it.