A friend of mine has recently bought an 8 acre block. The Tax department allows him to claim 5 acres for his house and garden. They expect him to make some amount of imputed income from the other 3 acres which he does by running a few goats and selling the offspring.
Can someone tell me whether the tax department similarly expect aboriginal groups who own land out in the boonies to be treated similarly. How does the imputed income they receive affect the hand outs that they get from the government.

David

Foxy,

I suppose I'm more of an integrationist (of course) than a supporter of assimilation (which I think is simply impractical, and certainly anti-democratic); sorry for that - I was posing assimilation /integration against Apartheid.

My point was that unintentionally, self-determination in practice verged/verges on Apartheid, with few of the benefits, or even the possibilities, of integration. It didn't have to be that way, but that's how it's panned out over fifty years.

Can I make a dreadful confession ? I don't believe in 'community' any more. Again, of course there ought to be the full flowering of 'community' (and maybe there is in some places, I don't know) but I think that, over fifty years of experience now of Indigenous 'community', there are few positive signs of its flowering. We forget that 'community' is not an Indigenous concept - family is, clan is. But not 'community'. That's a well-intentioned whitefella imposition, which people have (of course) taken up, it sounds better with bureaucrats than 'family'.

Joe

Joe,

The following link is interesting:

http://www.theconversation.com/the-government-is-committed-to-an-indigenous-voice-we-should-give-it-a-chance-to-work-126683

Foxy, Saltpetre, both your comments are very poignant and I see you are both very passionate about the plight of the blacks, BUT, (here we go, she says) the devil is in the detail, and like the devil, it does not bode well when debating with emotion rather than reality.
I have a few points that I have mentioned previously which puts doubt and question on the status and claim to this country, in the current context and narrative.
First and foremost, the blacks have from the beginning said that they don't "own" the land, because the concept was foreign to them and it is a matter of record, that when an attempt to buy the land from them was arranged, they stood in bewilderment wondering what these white fella's were trying to do or say.
So I personally have always rejected ANY discussions which suggested that they owned this land, even on the basis, they were here first.
They were here before us, and someone was here before them and so on.
The custom was and always has been, once taken over a land, it then becomes the property of the claimant, usually by force.
Australia was taken by force, as shots were fired, spears were thrown, blood was shed and people died, all the criteria and elements of a war.
Heck it's still going on today.
The other point which enfuriates me is that if the blacks have been here, as they claim, for 60,000 years, I would have expected to see something, anything.
Everyone goes on about a culture, what a language or more like 40 or 50 languages?
There is more to question and refute the current situation we have regarding the blacks and yes, I do expect them to assimilate and integrate.
We must recognise that this is now a Commonwealth country and as such we are beholding to the Queen of England, not the king of the blacks.
I cannot justify, handing over Australia, scott free to someone who now sees potential and wealth and expects it all for nothing without any justification.
NO!

Foxy, once again I remind everyone, this is ONE country with MANY races and cultures.
It is unacceptable to single out one race over all others.
It will not unify the country, it will divide it even further.
Self interest, greed and averace are at the root/core of this push or proposal.
I hope all thinking Australians will sooner than later see what this is.
I can tell you what it is NOT.
It is NOT what Wyatt and his cronies say it is.
IT NEVER IS!
NO! We are one country, that's it, and we are not going to give in to special groups or favour anyone just because they have someone pushing their agenda in parliament.
If that's the way it's going to be then I have a few things that I want done.
Yeah, I can see that happening.
This is wrong and I feel like I am in a country full of mental patients, all walking around like zombies mumbling nonsense and telling each other they are being virtuous by giving the country to those it never belonged to.

I have a few points that I have mentioned previously which puts doubt and question on the status and claim to this country, in the current context and narrative.
First and foremost, the blacks have from the beginning said that they don't "own" the land, because the concept was foreign to them and it is a matter of record, that when an attempt to buy the land from them was arranged, they stood in bewilderment wondering what these white fella's were trying to do or say https://greatcasino.com.au/.
So I personally have always rejected ANY discussions which suggested that they owned this land, even on the basis, they were here first.
They were here before us, and someone was here before them and so on.
The custom was and always has been, once taken over a land, it then becomes the property of the claimant, usually by force.