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The Forum > Article Comments > She asked for the facts, then ignored them > Comments

She asked for the facts, then ignored them : Comments

By Graham Ring, published 30/10/2008

Jenny Macklin's response to the Intervention review's report is not only misleading, it's a gross betrayal of trust.

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It's a disgrace that the Labor government is perpetuating the political grandstanding of the former Liberal government that decided to demonise aborigines to try to win the election.
There has been a lot of money thrown at the intervention and many whites from southern Australia are getting tax payer funded junkets to Northern Territory to inspect conditions or earning amazing money on contract to provide these services.

There is no suggestion that the money has filtered down to the aborigines
- aboriginal businesses have been compulsorily acquired and sold off cheaply to whites
- aborigines have lost their CDEP jobs yet no full time jobs have been forth coming
- there is no thought of aboriginal communities being sustainable, being trained and able to build and maintain their town buildings, water supply or grow their own meat and veggies
- the intervention is yet another Howard policy that punishes the victims
Posted by billie, Thursday, 30 October 2008 10:29:26 AM
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Billie, it is a disgrace, but not an unexpected one. "The modern Labor party," to quote SA Treasurer Kevin Foley, "has learned from its past mistakes", and these apparently include any commitment to public over private, safety nets over competition and incentive, and landrights over the interests of miners and developers.

The origin of the so-called "intervention" was not the Little Children Are Sacred report, but a Discussion Paper that pre-dated the report by six months and titled "Access to Aboriginal Land Under the Northern Territory Land Rights Acts - Time for Change?". The former was a pretext for achieving the aims of the latter (see my blog http://mike-servethepeople.blogspot.com/2007/07/mining-companies-behind-howards.html )

As you suggest, there is a diversity of views on aspects of the "intervention" around the various Aboriginal communities of the NT, yet we still get horribly misleading reports in the mainstream press like the ones recently that suggested the women of Yuendumu were united in support for it. They are not. See http://mike-servethepeople.blogspot.com/2008/10/capitalist-press-lies-about-opposition.html ) I repeat the final paragrapph of that post: "The 'Intervention' must be repealed, the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 restored, and the recommendations of the Little Children Are Sacred report, shamefully ignored by both the Howard and Rudd governments, fully implemented!"
Posted by mike-servethepeople, Thursday, 30 October 2008 11:25:22 AM
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I've spent many months this year in the NT doing medical work in various extremely isolated communities. The women there tell me, time and time again, they now feel a lot safer and worry a lot less about the immediate welfare of their children. They are now being protected.

I'd much rather listen to the aboriginal women at the coalface, than outsiders passing political judgments.
Posted by rw523252, Thursday, 30 October 2008 12:59:43 PM
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Too right rw, one mans "fact" is another's bull sh4t.

You'd best be carefull there. Its dangerous to get between an
abogirinal industry activist, & a pot of money, you're likely to be
crushed in the rush.
Posted by Hasbeen, Thursday, 30 October 2008 4:32:05 PM
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That's pretty much the norm with our politicians, they set up a review and then ignore the reccomendations of people they appoint if they don't report pre-conceived expectations.

Not surprising,Jenny Macklin has some supporters for her actions,Post by rw523252 reports they were told the women feel safer / protected
This could possibly be as a result of the stationing of a Police Officer at the Community which should be established without "the intervention"

There is no valid reason why quarantining of benefits should be arbitrarily imposed on everyone without the option to decline.
The 'humbugging' argument is not sufficient grounds....Does white Australia have to accept quarantining in case the man of the house wants money for grog from the housekeeping ?

It seems a petition to the United Nations will be the avenue whereby the Rudd Government and Minister Macklin will be reminded of their obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Posted by maracas1, Thursday, 30 October 2008 4:43:40 PM
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I have lived in Australia for over 30 years, but still don't understand why there is a 'permit' system with regard to Australian Aboriginal settlements.

I understand that all Australian Aborigines are able to travel to and enter any Australian township or city, so why cannot any non-Aboriginal Australian enter any Aboriginal settlement? It would probably be on the way to somewhere else in most cases - as, I read in the papers, there are few hotels or motels in these settlements catering for visitors.

Just curious....
Posted by Sheba, Thursday, 30 October 2008 6:47:17 PM
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