wre,
Didn't you watch Lateline a couple of nights ago?
Judging by your Tony Abbott style claptrap about "mutual responsibility" you didn't see a beautiful example of an allegedly qualified WHITE ADMINISTRATOR stuffing up an educational and social welfare infrastructurefor the community placed in dependence upon him.
A white person is put in charge and because of bad planning by whites is probably able touse the Mutitjulu community as a private piggy bank. How then are the indigenous people of that community subject to "mutual obligation", when they have a white-imposed system buggered up by white people? Will they even be expected to make the good the money "lost" by white scavengers?
Your blame the victim mentality ignores the fact the colonisation has ruined indigenous culture, hence indigenous people, over two hundred years. The people confined to the margins, unlike the descendents of the squattocracy, can't hop into the Merc and trundle down to the Vaucluse or Toorak branch and transfer a whack of "old" money to sort out their personal problems.
Actually, any "obligation" more likely rests with the likes of Brough and others who benefit from the system; not its victims.
And when someone has the guts to point out a travesty for what it is, out is trotted the old "left" smear, to silence justifiable criticism.

funguy- I dont watch lateline because it ceased to be objective sometime ago (like NewsLimited)

Since we're raising 'smears' though, I enjoyed your Toorak and Vaucluse comments-designed to perpetuate the myth that all Howard supporters are millionaire business elite perhaps? If it was you're mistaken- Howard maintains popularity on the back of middle class and blue collar workers. His policy of 'mutual responsibility' also remains popular from Toorak to Wagga to Katherine to Townsville. Polls have consistently showed this.

Before you brand your countrymen a bunch of racists, let me state that doing so would be 'clap-trap'. Australians in general share a sense of shame and responsibility for the plight of our indigenous. However, most are keen to get on with bettering the future rather than dwelling on the past. This doesnt reflect denial, but reflects the Aussie trait, pragmatism. You can dwell on the colonial era all you want, but it won't help 'the people confined to the margins'. I would argue that it is attitudes like yours that maintain the margins.

I applaud lateline for exposing the flaws and incompetency of a white administrator. However when was the last time late line or any ABC news report exposed the blatant corruption that led to ASIC's downfall or the numerous conflicts of interest of aboriginal leaders within their own communities? In fact there is one very well known aboriginal leader who 'suddenly' became rich during the ASIC era and has a registered company office on Collins Street. Maybe you'd like to 'trundle down' there on behalf of the Mutitjulu coomunity and request full and frank disclosure?

No sane person wants to live in a country that has an indigenous under class. Australians as a whole are proud enough of Australia to want to rectify the problems. But if indigenous leaders continue to dwell on the past while benefitting from the guilt money that doing so creates, the wider aboriginal community will not benefit and that will not be the responsibility of Australians in general. It will be the responsibility of the apologists and those who perpetuate the victim mentality

During the last year this writer has contributed many comments about,this Mal, ever so weak and useless approach to conditions in that part of northern Australia,for how many years,has this been the case,and bloody nothing has ever been accomplished,the problem is not the people involved,those who created it,is the problem,white society and governments,they pushed these people to the brink of hell on earth,this is no make up opinion,it is recordeed history

KARSOON,
So friend what do you see as being an answer to the sisuation?

wre, you are dreaming if you think the average Australian wants to help Aboriginal people up ,maybe in their dreams .
Howard,Brough,Tony Abbott and their right-wing mates have deliberately hardened their souls .
Can you imagine the New Zealand Government ministers suggesting to Mauri People that they spend too much time in Traditional Activities including mourning , and that they should become in effect ,more like their invaders !
One can only wonder what was in their diet as youngsters .Obviously Not the sustenance to grow true, fair and honest leaders determined to help our dispossesed First Australians regain their pride and self esteem as our unique people with their OWN aspirations.

Kartiya...

I presume you're yet another Australian consumed by loathing and apologist doubt of your own country. Regardless of what most Australians think of the aboriginal community, they are proud enough of Australia itself to want to ensure that our indigenous peoples are not forever down trodden. As i said in my previous post most Australians come from difficult backgrounds- Greeks who lost everything at the hands of Nazi Germany and Italians who shared a similar fate. Vietnames who went through god knows what at the hands of three imperial powers (China, France, US). Jews who escaped the Holocaust and peasant class Irish and Scots who were spat upon by the English. This is why they have a hard (realistic) approach to life.

It's interesting that you mention the Maori people. Have you ever wondered why there is no Maori-Aboriginal alliance to fight the colonial 'invaders'? The Maori has never been shy of saying up front that they dont want anything to do with ASIC or the aboriginal leadership because it is a disgrace. The Maori Queen never once sat around telling people in NZ that they should say sorry to the Maoris and pity them. She was also at the forefront of the fight against Maori street gangs- when was the last time you saw any aboriginal leader on the streets of Isa, Alice Springs or Cairns demanding that aboriginals pick up their act?

Can I ask what was in the diet of aboriginal leaders as youngsters? Was it a diet of self pity? Do they have any stomach at all to help the first Australians regain their pride and self esteem? What are the aspirations of the aboriginal people? I trully dont know the answer to any of these questions and the reason why is simple-aboriginal leaders dont lead their community and pave a road for the future. They simply look after themselves and perpetuate this idea that aboriginals suffered worse at the hands of colonial powers than anybody else (nonsense).