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The Forum > Article Comments > Aboriginal leadership and welfare reform: you’re not the first, Nöel > Comments

Aboriginal leadership and welfare reform: you’re not the first, Nöel : Comments

By Megan Davis, published 8/9/2005

Megan Davis argues all Indigenous communites are different with different problems requiring different solutions.

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Gee, what a nice hatchet job. There are so many contradictions in Megan Davis's post, I hardly know where to start pointing them out.

Mr Pearson’s “behaviour” appears unacceptable to the Ms Davis, apparently because he had the gall to stand up at an aboriginal talk fest and tell the assembled luminaries what they did not want to hear. Megan Davis then claimed that Mr pearson “can not tolerate opposing views". But since he alone was the only naysayer, any impartial observer would quickly conclude that it is Pearson’s "opposing view" which is not being "tolerated” by vested interests.

The fact that The Age’s editorial deplored the lack of common ground between two of this nations most respected aboriginal leaders is portrayed as some sort of media bias which is having a shot at “blackfellas.”

Davis then tries to portray Pearson as a paid puppet of John Howard who is simply parroting what his masters have scripted for him. Got news for ya, Megan, every aboriginal leader is on the public payroll. Are they all dancing monkeys for the Liberal Party's organ grinder too?

Davis then claims that Noel Pearson is stifling debate. Apparently, being a heretic to a demonstrably failing orthodoxy and pointing out that the sacred ideology has been found wanting, is “stifling debate.” I would have thought that forcefully defending an unpopular position was it was promoting it.

But Davis got it right when she argued that even Australia’s Left have given up fighting for sundry aboriginal “causes.” Too true Megan. Even they have finally figured out that their trendy ideas have been catastrophic for aboriginal society and they have summoned up enough neuronal activity to comprehend that Noel Pearson was right all along.

Davis then actually admits that “future” ALP president Warren Mundine also agrees with the Howard Government’s approach as well.

Seems that the only people who are criticising the Pearson's policy are all former disgruntled members and minions of ATSIC, who bemoan the loss of their power, privileges and well paid sinecures.
Posted by redneck, Saturday, 10 September 2005 9:42:57 PM
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"Seems that the only people who are criticising the Pearson's policy are all former disgruntled members and minions of ATSIC, who bemoan the loss of their power, privileges and well paid sinecures"

How wrong you are about Megan and many others. If you only knew, or more importantly, really wanted to know.
Posted by Rainier, Sunday, 11 September 2005 1:16:27 PM
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I agree with Megan Davis about different communities having different needs.
The Howard government's philosophy is divide and rule and it is so easy for him to achieve this with indigenous peoples, due to the tyranny of distance and diversity of language and needs.
Howard denies basic health and education rights to these people and is arrogant in the extreme.
White Australians do not have to perform "mutual obligation" to have these rights. Could anyone imagine the response from white citizens, being told to wash their face and hands to be allowed their rights?.
The argument about the qualities of "indigenous leaders" in this forum, is a nonsense. This is only sugar and spice for Howard's uncaring attitude to indigenous peoples, and aids and abets Howard,s lambasting of "indigenous leaders", who do not agree with his white, ignorant outlook.
Howard has a legal and moral obligation under the UN Charter of Human Rights, to provide the same rights to all citizens of Australia
Posted by Sarah10, Tuesday, 13 September 2005 8:27:24 AM
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What is wrong with you idiots!
Noel Pearson is simply saying what is right, and god knows (along with Pauline Hanson) that it is about time but nonetheless good to hear an Aboriginal leader waking up. It is good to see an Aboriginal leader realise that "stolen generation" may have produced a lot of problems but "why cry about it?" Besides, wouldn't the fate of children have been worse if left with drunk parents? I think this issue has been extremely unfair on white Australia. Megan Davis hasn't broken through the "left's brainwashing".
Pauline Hanson and Greaham Campbell said the same things as Pearson, and there were Aboriginals then who supported them, not as high profile as Noel Pearson though, so why were they ignored? Why does Davis think that the media is biased in focusing on Pearson?
Well anyway, it is all clear to me. The media in this country generally leans left and is generally to "queesy" on tough issues like immigration and Aboriginal problems and so tend to leave them alone if possible. It is only since P.Hanson that they can even talk about issues of multiculturalism etc, and even Pearson back then was not seeing clearly. The media latches on to Pearson because he is right, and he is black, not white. A white person saying such things is apparently a racist so they were all taught at media school.
There are many problems in the Aboriginal community that need to be fixed, and to tip toe around and superficially dress the wounds by "walking over bridges" etc. is merely token garbage, those people don't really care about the welfare of aboriginals or any other poor people. People like Pearson, Hanson talk about welfare refrom and being frank with their community because they really want to fix a problem. Crying about "stolen generation" or Captain Cook will only further serve to give those Aboriginals who are in the "dumps" a further reason to not try to get themselves out of it, just blame the white man. Have you seen any English convict descendents suing Britian lately?
Posted by Matthew S, Wednesday, 14 September 2005 7:40:02 AM
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No Matthew S, Pearson isn't saying what is right, he is saying what appeals to people like you. He also, as it turns out, is a consultant to the Govt, and you have to admit, this does cast a level of doubt over his independence.

While his ideas are worth thinking about, largely, what he is saying isn't true for my community. I do acknowledge that passive welfare is an issue, but only in a minority, alcoholism exists, but you should see the whitefellas go in my home town on this one, there is a level of domestic violence, ditto re the last point. Racism is a big problem, more than many are willing to admit, and this fundamentally affects the level of healthcare, education, employment etc etc that Nyungars are able to accept. And this isn’t about “left brainwashing”, this is first hand experience brother boy.

Megans point is that its not as simple as the way Pearson paints it. And she is correct. She also points out that other blackfellas have other opinions. Which is also correct. Not to mention that these opinions are also valid. Correct again. Just because they don’t automatically agree with Pearsons doesn’t mean they should be attacked as being “left” or other such rubbish, they should be acknowledged as being important in a complex area of debate.

My experience and the experience of my mob doesn’t seem to match that of Pearsons, and this is the point. It’s different in our part of the world (SW WA), and to be expected to fit into a FNQ model just doesn’t work. Let him prove it works in his land first.

And Hanson? Please, when does a recycled z-grade have any credence here, apart from proof of ignorance that is.
Posted by Wardandi, Friday, 16 September 2005 10:21:54 AM
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Well said Wardandi!
Posted by Rainier, Friday, 16 September 2005 5:45:18 PM
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