Australia is planning sterilize children without parental consent if a proposed law is adopted. Critics fear that Aborigines would be targeted.
You can read about the state’s Draft Mental Health Bill here. According to this report the draft Bill also allows 12 year olds to “consent” to undergoing electric shock treatment and psycho-surgery involving electrodes. Other features of the proposed law include removing parental rights to communicate with a child undergoing treatment, and the use of manacles to restrain children.
The law is being put forward in the state of Western Australia. If a health professional “suspects” mental illness in the child they can be detained pending assessment and if diagnosed with a mental condition the state can keep them locked up for three months with the option of extending detention in three-month blocks.
According to the Citizens Commission on Human Rights: “During detainment the child could be drugged, restrained, secluded, given electroshock (if 12 or over) and could be put into a ward with adults. Parental consent is not required to continue the detainment or for any treatment. A psychiatrist can also prohibit any patient from receiving visits from his or her lawyer.” Today is the deadline for objections to the draft Bill.
Aboriginal people already face widespread discrimination. They represent 2.3 percent of the population but make up 14 percent of the prison population, and government underfunding of Aboriginal education has led to 80 percent illiteracy.
100,000 Aboriginal children were removed from their parents and community from 1885 to the 1970s. Today, the people who once prospered in their homeland are beset by extreme poverty, alcoholism and sexual abuse after decades of overt racism and exclusion from Australian society. In 2009, the New South Wales state introduced alcohol-free zones around Aboriginal areas, which were denounced as discriminatory.
Aborigines made headlines in January this year after a protest on Australia Day led to prime minister Julia Gillard having to flee as scuffles erupted around her. The episode highlighted the deep-seated frustration at the socio-economic ills afflicting Aborigines, racism and inter-community problems which are a manifestation of a hurting people.
The latest plan to sterilise children – which critics fear will target Aborigines – suggests that Australia may be moving backwards on Aborigines rights… possibly turning the clock back a century to a time when medical professionals commonly experimented on them. Aboriginal children were subject to medical tests in the 1920s and 30s, with many being injected with leprosy.
The latest plan, which allows for the sterilisation of children declared mentally-ill, will revive painful memories of the trials faced by the Aboriginal people through the years.
Follow me: @suttongoingon
cllrlesterholloway.wordpress.com 
“They represent 2.3 percent of the population but make up 14 percent of the prison population,” That should have read up to 40%.
No it shouldn’t have, both you and this site are way off base. According to latest data it’s about 25%.
Those type of issues haven’t changed since 1770….
what the hell,who r u to dictate.Do we have no rights,are we lower than worms butts,and since when does a black man try to be an all out f-wit,my god we are supposed to be going forward not backward,we have had enough of this type of stuff,
Apparently No one has the answers to such a huge problem. Aboriginal people are as much white now as they are aboriginal, there needs to be a clear understanding of this so racism can be quelled. There are very few full blood aboriginals. No one should be sterilised against their will and sterilisation will not fix the STD or rape of aboriginal children. Take away the alcohol and drugs and reform the aboriginal people back into their culture. They don’t want to be singled out but they want the benefits of both cultures, that’s not right and it’s not working in society. So either everyone conforms to the one line of law and understanding or we’re doomed for this separation of society indefinitely. It doesn’t mean that anyone has to relinquish their culture or beliefs we just need to respect each other and ourselves for our differences and abide by basic rules and standards expected in society to live side by side. It’s become such a problem now that the aboriginals feel targeted but what do they do to help themselves? Parents drunk and disorderly, sexual abuse of children, 12 years old girls pregnant, children drinking, vandalism and theft and violence against others…it’s not proving that they want to even try to live in our society, so lets ask them what they really want and get to work helping them achieve it instead of trying to implement what we “think” they need…it’s not working.
We have so many white “do-gooders” on fantastic government funded wages and conditions riding the aboriginal industry like a gravy train. I think a single smart group of people could implement a nationwide policy to sort out all the problems fairly quickly but we need aboriginal people in that group because the rift between white and black is now too big. Lets empower them into their own repair and make them accountable, if it fails its not a finger pointing game and no body else’s fault, dust off, get up, make changes and try again. We just need one leading power to take the stand, the vast number of separate groups are not working together to achieve outcomes, we need one unified body to address the whole spectrum if issues and implement the changes and more importantly…follow them through. Anyone in a remote area can forward a dodgy performance/outcomes report to some office in a big city to pop into a computer and produce great statistics but that’s not what is happening in reality. No one is telling the truth. I live amongst it, I know. In 10 years I have seen it go from bad to worse. Someone is lying and I’m paying taxes which pay their wages.
Angela for a start the old reasoning that Aboriginal people are as much white is a racist statement in itself. I have not meet one Aboriginal person, including myself that is sick and tired of people telling us who we are. All human beings have the rights to make their own decision right or wrong. You are right, nation wide policies have done little to change some things. I haven’t got all the answers but self empowerment, also letting people have a say in their own lives on what does and doesn’t work for them. Reforming Aboriginal people back to their culture, if one was to believe your first statement then their aren’t any “real” aboriginals. Aboriginal people don’t need to be white to stop racism. People need to stop being racist! I am Aboriginal and dam proud of it. myself and many other Aboriginal family and friends work and pay taxes too. Aboriginal people are all too aware of our problems. But we are all aware of our strengths too.Another statement I don’t understand is that Aboriginal people want the benefits of both cultures. Who doesn’t, every Australia has the right to their culture, also to expect the privileges of being Australian. I know where I live everyone expects to have clean water,education, access to doctors and Employment opportunities etc. I think these things are a right of all Australians. I am not trying to attack your point of view, just sharing my thoughts. I know one thing for sure medical experiments and sterilisation is not the answer, it is evil.
Sharmy your comments would be justified if the suggested legislation were about sterilisation of any children without parental consent. It is about considering sterilisation of children who are profoundly mentally handicapped or who have serious untreatable mental illness. And that deserves a whole other discussion.
Dear, dear,deary me. Always pleased to see good people who have the fortitude to plough through such things as suggested legislation and to alert lazy people like me to imminent dangers.I admire you for having done so in this case. But you have ruined it all with that dreadful, misleading, libelous even, headline. You might just as well have said that Australia plans to sterilise Muslim kids or Irish or Kiwi kids!
I’m aboriginal and I don’t rape my children. I’m aboriginal and I’m not drunk every day and don’t do drugs. I’m aboriginal and I’m employed and not on any government benefit and have been employed for half of my adult life. A child being molested is found in every part of Australian society, we have the Churches who did it and now have a royal commission into this, but you don’t see the commonwealth coming down hard on the church. Bring in the army and police when it’s an ‘aboriginal problem’. I totally support aboriginal people contributing to society in a positive manner, its unfortunate that employers don’t want to give the opportunity, due to being aboriginal and stereotyping aboriginal people. But like you said Angela, I as an aboriginal person want to see real change; I want to see Australians working together, not against each other. Will that day come, I don’t know, it comes down to the people on the ground and everyone working together for the betterment of our children.
I totally agree with you Frank. As a Aboriginal man that has worked since I was 15 and that doesn’t drink or do drugs. I find people that don’t know anything about aboriginal lives or even socialize with the mob are the first to have an opinion without knowing the truth about the situation. People that have these negative feeling and opinions should go into aboriginal communities or live with some of our mobs and clans. I too am tired and bored with the ignorance and stereotypical behaviour of most with the mainstream society towards our mob. REAL change would be wonderful instead of the symbolism, hollow promises and being treated like political ping pongs.
Well said Frank!
MODERN DAY HITLER TRYIN TO WIPE OUT A WHOLE RACE!!!!!
Read the suggested legislation Trina lee. It has not the remotest application to Aboriginal children. It is about profoundly mentally handicapped persons, and those with serious untreatable mental illnesses. It is that ridiculous misleading headline that made you think it was to do with Aboriginal people. I don’t blame you for making such a mistake.
WTF who is the god damn dog wanting to do this shit to ppl, how would they like it if we forced our way into their homes an did it to their kids an them,,,,, l have never ever been so ashamned to call myself a aussie till now……. My god l have aboriginal friends who are just awsome ppl that work hard treat their kids with respect an everything, they may have a beer or 2 with mates on long weekends an stuff but they dont drink till then an it is only a dozen cans,,,,,,,,wake the fuck up Oz these are our countrys true ppl who the hell are we to allow this crap to happen to them
Let this be a warning to any white people trying to do this to aboriginal people their will be blood shed you racist arseholes…
This is not the right way to express disgust at racism.
Pingback: WA government to sterilize children without parental consent | FRED LEFTWICH – ABORIGINAL ADVOCATE, CANBERRA AUSTRALIA