The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said Western Australian and Northern Territory mandatory sentencing laws discriminated against indigenous people. One CERD member reported that some of those imprisoned under the legislation did not know why they were arrested. Leading Australia's delegation before the committee in Geneva, Immigration and Reconciliation Minister Philip Ruddock was told figures in Australia's report showed a lack of progress in tackling racism.

Poor levels of schooling, health and other socio-economic factors demonstrated the unequal status of indigenous people, the committee said.

Mr Ruddock was also questioned on the legality of amendments to the 1998 Native Title Act, on the "unacceptably high rate" of Aboriginal children before the courts and on budget cuts to organisations working with indigenous people. In his response to the committee, Mr Ruddock acknowledged the past mistreatment of Aborigines and said that parliament had done so too.

He said the federal government had expressed concerns over mandatory sentences and had asked the WA and NT attorneys-general to change the laws. Following the meeting, Mr Ruddock denied reports he had been given a grilling by the committee.

"There were some issues where they questioned aspects of our performance but they were open to what I had to say," he said. Mr Ruddock later held a private meeting with High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson.

The minister confirmed that the subject of the meeting was the UN Convention on Refugees and the UN Convention on Torture. Amnesty International this week asked Mr Ruddock to take off his membership badge after he said the refugee convention was too open to abuse.

Mr Ruddock declined to elaborate on the meeting but said it has been positive.

FAIRA Aboriginal Corporation
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