I find the article well written and certainly 'food for thought'. In a similar vein I question the abysmal lack of ANY response about an injustice to an Indigenous child that, as a child protection officer in the NT, I was involved in and tried to have rectified. Still trying . . . The underneath reproduced copies of recent email/s sent to Senator Nova Peris, the Shadow Min for Indigenous Affairs, the United Nations, all the Indigenous MPs in NT has not even produced an ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of its receipt! Similarly with all the other 'notables' in Indigenous leadership roles - A big fat ZERO!

Prior email sent to:
Senator N. Peris
Senator for the Northern Territory
Dear Senator
It is with considerable sadness and angst that I forward for your
information and requested representation details of previously sent
emails to numerous NT Chief Ministers, including the present Indigenous
incumbent, concerning the travesty of justice against an Indigenous
female child and its extended family by a NT Magistrate.
I understand that you are reputed to be a fearless spoke person for your
own people and all Indigenous people in Australia representing the
Australian Labor Party.
Would you please seriously consider the facts clearly identified in this
sad debacle where a Magistrate of the Crown has apparently decided that
he can ignore affidavits presented in his court by the Department of
Children & Families (DCF) legal representative identifying that a person
claiming to be a "traditional grandmother" was in fact, nothing of the
sort. Post to be continued . . .

Continued 2. . .
I believe it is highly relevant to note that this Indigenous child
subject to this handed down order, which was and still is in complete
conflict with Section 12 of the NT Child Protection Act 2007, previously
had her elder sister treated similarly by the Magistrate who decided
then that she should be placed in the care of the same non-Indigenous
woman who has claimed for some time that she is a "traditional
grandmother" to both Indigenous children.
I understand that her claim centres solely on a previous relationship
she had with an Indigenous family member, which according to Remote
Indigenous DCF workers sent to Nkgurr Community, is entirely without
substance.
I have cc others into this email in the hope that they too may apply
pressure in the required quarters to get sensible, honest and
transparent responses to these identified travesties involving NT
Magistrate Smith, successive NT Chief Ministers, Ministers for DCF, and
DCF line and senior managers.
Would you please arrange for this email to be acknowledged and the
situation fully investigated and advise me of what action(s) you intend
to take to conclusively correct this sad imbroglio?
Thank you for your representation of Indigenous and non-Indigenous
families.
Yours faithfully
Peter J. Johnson (BA Social Sciences-Welfare Practice)
Director, Citizens Initiated Action

Shayne.Neumann.MP@aph.gov.au
Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs
cc Warren.Snowdon.MP@aph.gov.au, senator.peris@aph.gov.au
Shayne Neumann MP
Labor Party Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs
Dear Shadow Minister
I write to you in your capacity as Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs requesting your attention and input into trying, after considerable efforts by myself, to obtain justice for this young indigenous female child unlawfully separated from her extended family by the actions of Magistrate Smith of Katherine Court, Northern Territory.

Post to be continued

Continued . . .
As under I indicate that approx 11 days ago I emailed Labor Party Senator N Peris about this sad imbroglio of injustice. I still have not had the courtesy of at least an acknowledgement receipt reply despite another follow up email requesting this.
As you have proclaimed on your website the following:
"I believe in social justice and equality of opportunity for all. I believe that how we treat the poor, the aged, the weak and the disadvantaged says much about us as a nation. I believe the Australian experience shows economic development and social progress come not just from individual liberty but by active participation of government also."
I trust that you will respond to this email in this spirit.
Previously, I have both emailed and posted a hard copy of my complaint to the United Nations regarding this injustice against an indigenous child [and I suspect it also previously occurred with her elder sister] some time ago. [refer to attachment]
Again I have not had any response.
Nor have I had any meaningful response from a host of other Northern Territory and Federal parliamentarians and their associated departments.
I find this a sad reflection on them and their claimed role in representing and serving the citizens of Australia including aggrieved Indigenous families.
I ask that you will arrange for questions to be asked in appropriate quarters to enable some respect to be given back to indigenous people who have had children unlawfully removed from the care of approved close family members by a flawed legal system that has resulted in Australia effectively ‘thumbing its nose’ at the UN Treaties to which it is a signatory.

Continued . . .

As under I received a pathetic stonewalling response from Ms Linda Heidstra, Personal Assistant to The Hon John Efferink, MLA NT Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Children and Families dated 20 January 2014 (over 12 months ago) stating:
Thank you for your email received today.

I make the strong point, that while it may be stated that as this matter concerns child protection matters heard in a closed court the whole matter cannot be commented upon, investigated nor corrected by anyone my complaint to successive NT Chief Ministers, the UN and others is not, per se, solely concerning this particular indigenous child, its elder sister nor their aggrieved extended family but rather that the rights of the child are being legally thwarted by a legal system that can be demonstrably manipulated.

Continued . . .

Rather it centrally concerns the errors made by both the magistrate and the court-appointed lawyer supposedly acting in the interests of the child[ren]. They did not raise any concerns that when it was later shown by sworn affidavits from NT Department of Children and Families (DCF) indigenous workers who spoke to the remote community family members that they both had previously been ‘conned’ by the woman who claimed she was a traditional grandmother to the first indigenous child placed in her care and then also duplicated with the second child.
Under cultural law or any other law the woman who claimed to be a traditional grandmother was in fact clearly not.
After the shocking decision of the second child also being handed over to her DCF could not be bothered to lodge an appeal so this ‘loophole’ effectively meant a magistrate and a ‘court-appointed’ lawyer could agree that the ‘unfortunate mistake made previously in this child’s elder sister’s case’ should NOT now be

To be continued . .

In order to prevent racism in Australia, we must change the constitution to make aborigines a special race. ?-?-?-?-?-?-?-?

If that is not Catch-22, I don't know what is.

Reality check. The push by aboriginal activists to change the Australian constitution came about because of the "Howard government "intervention" in aboriginal communities. The complete dysfunction in aboriginal communities seems to benefit a lot of senior aboriginal tribal leaders. Almost every week there seems to be yet another financial or sexual scandal involving aboriginal elders or aboriginal organisations.

ATSIC was disbanded because corruption was so entrenched that nothing less than the total abolishment of ATSIC could suffice to prevent it. The late Justics O'Keefe was quoted as saying that things were bad in aboriginal communities "because aboriginal leaders are ripping the communities off!"

It ws to get around the corrupt aboriginal leaders and deal directly with aboriginal communities that the "intervention" was enacted, and was supported by both the Liberals and Labor. This did not suite the aboriginal leaders who were now out in the cold and without any influence. They dreamed up this referenduma a way to line their pockets and get their power back, and of course, the inner city elites bought it, hook line and sinker. All the activists had to do was to portray the entrenchment of corruption as a fight against racism and the trendies would all over each other to be seen as noble social progressives fighting for a good cause.

Shades of Elmer Gantry. There is one born every minute.