Gavin will perhaps reflect on the tone of comments to date (excepting Barbh)and those that followed his contribution about a year ago on 'the threat to aboriginal culture - assimilate or worse'.
It probably goes to show how the horrors revealed by a NT prosecutor can quickly bring out the hand wringing impatience of many that seemingly so little progress has followed so much money. I don't exclude myself from this apparent despair. I think his ten point plan is a constructive attempt and ought to get a start at this Brough sponsored ministerial meeting that Claire Martin doesn't want to bother with. To save time and hasten a solution perhaps Mooney's ten point program could be run somewhere and compared with whatever other plans that might get up as a result of Brough's action elsewhere.

Jeremy it costs $2900 a day to lock up a two year old Iraqi child in Port Augusta for the crime of being brought to Australia by her mum, dad and three siblings. It costs the same for her parents and siblings.

Now compare that to $3,000 per year each for aboriginal people in Australia and have a good long think about your position.

Our GDP is one trillion dollars - what is the percentage of that granted for health care for the first people do you think and why do you address them as "them" as if they are not "us" so they don't count?

$60 per week per person is not a drop in the bucket - we spent $3 billion locking up innocent men, women and kids in the Pacific and here - $1-2 million per person out in the Pacific - and then had to either let them out or bring them to Australia anyway.

We should have spent that money on aboriginal housing and training to build the houses for the aborigines by the aborigines. They are not a sub-human species you know.

Jeremy29 -well said.
I for one would be interested in hearing any more information you have on this and related issues.
So much of what is posted is just a parroting of the political correct lines of the day.People like you, who have worked with/in such groups as ATSIC need to speak-up more often.

I would disagree with this article on the basis of the situations described in the media being the product of the behaviours of aboriginal people against one another. The authorities dont want to interfere with these places, indeed, they'd probably cop some abuse. In effect, the places are run by aboriginals already.
Self worth of the individual is the key, to have something worthwhile to do and some challenges and rewards. These things simply dont come from handouts and busy work.
I could of course say that the reason for my lack of success in life must be traced back to the potato famine in Ireland because of my ancestry but that would be B.S.