I agree

We have had total and complete failure in regard to aboriginal affairs by all government levels. Now the message is that if we care about children we should just trust the government to fix it without question?

I feel, as a white person, lack of government representation on this issue. Such a frustrating and powerless feeling. It made me wonder how it would feel to be aboriginal?

The very first problem we need to address is the attitude of Australians. Human rights have been unfashionable of late with anyone speaking up for anyone automatically labelled do-gooder, bleeding heart or looney leftie. I know because I had this attitude myself, which troubles me now no end. I guess at some stage we felt minorities were getting too much. Well no excuse really. We have lost touch with human rights as a nation and need to address this as a matter of extreme urgency. With awareness support comes easier.

We cannot allow Howard to own this policy without question, he will leave office soon, it has to belong to all Australians as the long term committment required can only come from the people. The damage he may do with his policy on the run will be our cross to bear, not his.

The real question should be: Will Fraser, Hawke and Keating apologise to aborigines for turning Aboriginal women and young people into sex toys? If it has been going on for years it must have been known by those alleged Prime Ministers.

Is it so hard for them to say 'sorry'?

It's becoming increasingly apparent that the Howard government's "lightning" response has been initiated from the top down - without consultation with aboriginal communities, or the NT government.
Should we be surprised about this?
I don't think so. The Howard record is of opportunistic grandstanding. He recently made the announcement about the Murray River takeover. Again - this was in a crisis situation that needed action. But again - it was done without consultation with the "lower orders" - and again, after decades of neglect regarding the problem.
It would be nice to think that Howard has no ulterior motive.
Nice - but unlikely.
Even if this action does result in a good response to a real problem, the aborigines are stll left with changes to their land rights, removal of permits, and with the Commonwealth's control of the territory, in a weakening of the Northern Territory Land Rights Act.
Is it just a coincidence that this weakening of native title rights is occurring in areas where miners are salivating to seek uranium, and some influential backers of the Howard government are salivating to create international nuclear waste dumping?
Christina Macpherson
www.antinuclearaustralia.com

Yes. It should not have taken 11 years for the Coalition to do something to set right the incompetence of the ALP and the closed shop of socialists and corrupt community leaders.

But, politicians do things ONLY for political reasons. The current Howard action is the right one, but let’s not kids ourselves that he is doing it for anything but political reasons. He is probably going to lose the next election because he has hung around too long. He is desperate.

However, to suggest that Howard should have consulted with the NT government, and indigenous communities is disingenuous to say the least. Why consult with the very duds who have brought about the chaos and encouraged it for so many years? They have had their chance and blown it. They are the very cause of the problem now needing the drastic action that politically motivated critics are whingeing about.

Howard, for all his faults and dubious motives, is the first PM to try anything that might work in regard to aborigines.

Belt up, and give him chance.

It should be remembered that the sole reason for ‘Get Up’ is to discredit conservatism. Any individual or organization describing as ‘draconian’ the current action to help the aboriginal situation is so far to the left as to be downright dangerous

Well said Verdant and congrats for seeing the other side. Took me many years too mate but it does look different when you open your eyes. Seriously, congrats. One more human being out of that pile of barrackers and rednecks. I sat there for many years and finally realised what I was. A bigot. Intolerant and ignorant. Still am, but not on this issue.

Stick to your views too as you will see Howard roughshod in real action this time. Note one thing all of you.

Howard has not even bothered to go see these people. Nope, video conferencing is suddenly all the go for PM's. Only to rural and remote communities (of course he has to get all the people where there is electricity first. And internet access, right?).

If Howard had actually read that report (he hasn't as he has taken none of the recommendations and created some dramatic and headline grabbing other, unwanted actions) he would know that sending troops is insanity.

And yes, of course it's political. It's election year everybody! Everything is politically motivated, until Howard thinks he has exhausted every single nasty little shot in his locker.

Note that this morning he's back on the "evil unions" band wagon. OK, forget the indigenous people, that didn't work. Oh troops? What troops, are they still up there? Don't they read polls. Get them out and send them to....well actually just have them circle Kirribilli as I ain't leaving, regardless of election results. It's MY House.

And to Sage and his ilk. Who cares about the past and the blame game? Every politician and Australian has done nothing. Did you know nothing? Why blame others if you did? If uou didn't then you have been asleep for decades. Don't bother with the "What did you do?" line. We haven't the room here. Just look at yourself first mate.

Forget the sound bytes, the spin. This is not an emergency. The only emergency is Howard trying to get traction on some issue, anything. The indigenous people would prefer action, but after thinking, not charging.

This article, along with John Tomlinson's, is among the most considered and balanced responses I've read yet to Howard's overdue but stupidly implemented 'shock and awe' campaign against NT Aboriginal communities. Despite being aware of the shocking problems endemic to many Aboriginal communities, the Howard government has for 11 years refused to fund and implement measures designed to ameliorate them.

Now, a few months out from a Federal election, Howard wants us to believe that this stunt is a serious effort to improve conditions for Aboriginal kids. Last election, we had the false "children overboard" claims; this time he's attempting to get political mileage out of claims of Aboriginal child abuse.

I think that the Howard government has demonstrated that it is a serial 'child abuser' by these cynical machinations. As I've said before, you'd have to be a racist or a fool, or both, to be sucked in by this latest disingenuous ploy.