Australia and the Northern Territory: an unfortunate intervention

This chapter discusses the Australian Federal policies in the Northern Territory. In particular, it focuses on the Northern Territory National Emergency Response, the so-called Intervention, and its follow-up set of policies called Stronger Futures. They all had, and continue to have, a hindering effect on the Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders’ perception of the legitimacy of Federal and regional institutions in the Northern Territory. The analysis will show that among the many drivers of change, there are a few significant factors that contributed to the cycle of distrust in Australian institutions as perceived by these Indigenous communities. The first negative factor is the legal setting that allows Federal institutions to impose policies without consultation with Territorian institutions and, more importantly, with Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islanders. The second element that sustains the crisis of legitimacy of central institutions is sociological. The system values in relation to the protection of the environment and family relationships that are held by Aboriginal Peoples are significantly different from those of non-Indigenous Australians.