Graham Ring says: "[Aboriginal Affairs Minister] Brough can expect to be abused in Areyonga, blasted in Beswick and castigated in Camooweal. They'll jeer in Jigalong, frown in Framlingham, and heckle in Hermannsburg." I don't disagree with the implication that a hot reception is thoroughly justified, but I think Graham doesn't go far enough.

If we want to see real changes then we need to see Howard and the whole of Government (not just Prefect Brough) booed in Brisbane, insulted in Ipswich, hissed in Hobart, condemned in Kew, pilloried in Parramatta, lambasted in Leongatha, harassed in Hindmarsh and shunned in Subiaco.

If Brough is being “monstered” by aborigines, it is because he is the first Minister with the guts to tell them the way it is.

If what “local aboriginal man Vincent Forrester” is “reported to have said” (Ring is not even sure about that), how many people was he actually representing with his stupid and offensive remarks? That Brough was “taken aback by the warmth of the welcome”, would appear to indicate that there was only one ratbag who thought that way.

Has Ring stopped to compare Brough’s supposed “denigrating” of remote communities with the pig-ignorant, white-hating nonsense hurled at Brough by Forrester.

That is, if Forrester really said the things reported to Ring by who knows how many second, third and fourth hand sources. Was there really a “hostile reception” at all?

Ring claims to be a friend indigenous people. If he is one of their friends, their enemies must be a real worry!

From a ‘maybe’ about one man, we arrive at “hostile” receptions and “backlash” and “outpouring of anger”. The hated Howard Government is making “sustained attacks” on an aboriginal community.

I think that Graham Ring’s regular outbursts come under the editor’s definition of “flaming”. Ring is certainly not a person I would rely on for the truth or impartiality and accuracy in reporting.

I have decided to confine him to the same “not to be read” rubbish bin started for Greg Barnes. The lack of responses by other posters to him and the regular indigenous person who likes to talk about himself, shows that I’ve become sick and tired of the whining by and for indigenous people later than most

An excellent article, timely and correct.
Australia's indigenous people have demonstrated their ability to survive at no cost to the planet, and should be lauded and encouraged to continue. What is needed is skills training so that all maintenance, infrastructure repairs and construction, all bureaucracy and other requirements of living in 2006, can be performed by locals. There is no case for these jobs to be performed by aliens who collect all the dollars allocated to Indigenous welfare, then pack up and go, leaving the community as incapable of coping with 21st Century bureaucracy as before.
Paternalism must end now!

Rent-a-rubbish:

"Australia's indigenous people have demonstrated their ability to survive at no cost to the planet, and should be lauded and encouraged to continue.

Twaddle largely meaningless, everyone around today has a family history of survival all leave footprints.

Living traditional way hard when seasons dried up, death was common.. but despite this people did survive because surviving is what surviving people do, survive despite their environments.

Relations became "prisoners of flour, sugar, tea" none planned, or desired, turn around leave all to return older ways, would laugh anyone suggest same, recognising some things better, some things worse, all things changing...

Accurate:
" What is needed is skills training so that all maintenance, infrastructure repairs and construction, all bureaucracy and other requirements of living in 2006, can be performed by locals. There is no case for these jobs to be performed by aliens...

CDEP failed produce these workers, why work harder for less money ?
Training, educating, takes time... too many suggesting it is all easy... people supposedly provided past 20years of training...

"...who collect all the dollars allocated to Indigenous welfare, then pack up and go, leaving the community as incapable of coping with 21st Century bureaucracy as before.

Missionaries, misfits and mercenaries... will continute until from within communities are people educated doing these jobs, this not be until we send our youth away to learn elsewhere how real world outside actually operates.

Best we can hope for is after they gain skills and experience to do these jobs our youth agree come work two years around home.

Some may actually stay longer, but two years is enough to ask of them.

" Paternalism must end now!

Step one: look in a mirror.
Step two forget racial tags, just marketing ploys, what counts is skills, training, experience.

Many have nerve to complain they have not succeeded without mentioning they have not tried.

Get a loan to start a business when you have no secure title to the land you operate upon and live within.

See archives for Alice Springs News www.alicespringsnews.com.au

Recently one woman professional put her career and life on the line to draw attention to awful abuses of women and children that were (and are!) the norm in Aboriginal communities.

But what about the vast retinue of experts and helpers who have had their snouts in the government trough for decades? Why didn't any of them blow the whistle? What about all of the self-acknowledged experts who comment from the sidelines? Why didn't they point a finger at the deaths of women and sexual abuse of children? Could it have been the case that they were ignorant of such widespread abuses for so many deecades? Or didn't the suffering of generations of Aboriginal women and children count for anything where Aboriginal politics is concerned?

Why encourage rabblerousers to abuse the Minister, after all the Minister is there to be informed and he is a senior member of an elected government. Some might not be enthralled with his policies but it is a democracy and he has a right to be heard.

The community has demanded that government take action on the grievous abuses of human rights that have plagued some Aboriginal communities.

There is also the expectation that controls be put in place to overcome the financial mismanagement, theft and fraud that have been identified in a succession of reports of the Auditor General. Annually, such theft, fraud and mismanagement drains millions of government funds away from areas of need.

It is abundantly clear that something has to be done to protect women and children and ensure that resources are expended for the purposes they were granted.

I don't think many people would countenance giving more power and resources to the very people who have proven themselves to be untrustworthy, or worse have been abusing the vulnerable. Just who is complaining about the Minister's visit? I assume it wouldn't be the neglected children who cop a daily belting from some boozed relative.

A day of tradegy has struck a remote community.

Despite all efforts to protect and prevent, sometimes things go wrong, and we could all do just a bit more toward encouraging the FedGov to keep on trying.

The inertia of a bogged truck overcomes the gravity of the situation it is in, as it gets dragged out.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1802939.htm

Good one brother Ringy,

Here's some more-

If Brough gets -

Accused in Aurukun
Berated in Brisbane.
Chided in Cherbourg
Derided in Doomadgee
Emphatically ignored in Erub
Fobbed off in Framlingham
Given the flick in Groote
Harangued in Hopevale – and you can be sure that-

He still won’t know why.

**

Yes Cornflower i agree that abuse should not happen and should be reported but unlike you I stop short of painting all with the same brush. Its so easy to peer over your newspaper and coffee and 'tut tut; isn't it. Why not get involved so you can you can have a lived and informed opinion? Graham Ring is writing from experience. What's the basis for your opinions besides lazy conjecture?

**

Leigh, try not to hate so much mate, I know you're at the end of your life but hey, its not our fault you turned out so bitter and twisted. That is of your own doing. When I think of all my old people who have passed on and had nothing bad to say about anyone -but every reason to hate - it makes me think - why do people like YOU spend so much time hating us. If you're so damned lonely do something about it and get out from behind that computer and live a bit, even try meeting a blackfella (for the first time).

Rainier

You are in denial, what I related is a matter of fact:

Nanette Rogers
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1639127.htm

Sharon Duthie
http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1704472.htm

This report in the National Indigenous Times regarding accounts by Mr Andrews is also relevant.
http://www.nit.com.au/news/story.aspx?id=7409

The Australian community is exasperated by the experts and freeloaders of indigenous extraction and otherwise, who banged on about Aboriginal issues for decades, while atrocities were committed against Aboriginal women and children.

Why didn’t anyone speak up? Why did it take Nanette Rogers to risk her life and career in coming forward?

After all, thousands of people, black and white have been latched onto the government teat for the past forty years while they claimed to represent Aboriginals and were ostensibly working for the betterment of Aboriginal health and welfare. What about all of those bureaucrats, consultants and Aboriginal representatives funded by the federal government? What about the Department of Aboriginal Affairs?

What practical results did the community really get from the billions of dollars expended on improving the lot of Aboriginals if forty years later a white woman professional had to put her own skin on the line to get some attention for the abuses that were occurring before her eyes?

Then there is all of the $$ that never reached the grassroots because, according to successive auditor reports, it was being misappropriated (read stolen) and wasted. It is no use claiming that the recipients of the money were untrained or naïve because offers of advice, systems and training were rejected as ‘interference’ in Aboriginal self management. Lack of accountability suits the clever and the tough, but it doesn’t help the vulnerable who miss out on much-needed services.

The Hon Mal Brough MP is the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs. He is visiting Aboriginal communities because the Australian community has demanded action to improve the lot of Aboriginals. Regardless of one's political persuasion, he ought be helped not abused while doing that.

Cornflower, Just off the top of my head i can think of 7 national and state based reports that were totolly ignored by government.

That you are not aware of them does not mean people were not speaking out or that such alarms bells did not go off.

See for instance the Robertson Report here:

Queensland Domestic Violence Task Force, ibid, pp198-256 as cited in Robertson, B, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Task Force on Violence Report, Queensland Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy, Brisbane 1999, p97.

or this-

Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision, Overcoming Indigenous disadvantage - Key indicators 2003, Productivity Commission, Melbourne 2003, pp 3.44-3.57.

But hey, don't let you're ignorance of these many bells ringing stop you from blaming blackfellas and feeling wonderfully paternalistic.

and Do you really think the media reports everything? Puleeze!

Rainier

Your personal abuse does you no credit. Abuse is always counterproductive and your encouragement of rabble rousing for the Minister should be rejected.

It is a bit rich blaming the ‘guv’ment’ for losses and assaults in self-managing communities. Between the government and the grassroots there are many levels of responsibility and more than enough devolution of discretionary power to treat the risks to women and children and to remedy the loss of resources that has been occurring.

It was those at the sharp end with the fiduciary responsibility for the safety of people and resources who have been abusing that trust. The Australian community has been shielded from finding out about the problems by the exclusion of the media from Aboriginal communities.

I didn’t blame ‘blackfellas’ as you put it (that is just you putting words in my mouth) and if demanding protection of Aboriginal women and youth is being ‘wonderfully paternalistic’ then so be it.

Cornflower,
Rainier is totally correct about the number of reports that have been ignored by govts.

Bonni Robertson chaired and wrote up the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women's Taskforce on Voilence report, Qld 2000. It then took a white man, Fitzgerald, to report exactly what Bonni had reported before anything was done.

I suggest that you do a little reading up on the issue before you start shooting off at the mouth. You might like to start with a book written by a nice non-Indigenous woman, Anna Haebich, called Broken Circles. You will read in this book how systematically the govt of Australia has ground down Indigenous Australain.

The state sanctioned slavery including the sexual slavery of children. The government deliberately denied Indigenous Australians their humanity, see Warwick Anderson, The Cultivation of Whiteness: Science, Health and Racial Destiny in Australia 2005.

There is no wonder that some Indigenous peoples and communities are still suffering the effects of the not to recent past.

How outrageous that you assume that this white woman is the only or first person to raise these issues.
You should be berating the pollies and the police for sitting on their blots doing sweet nothing for so long.

Before all you aboriginal apologists get into the blame game for past inertia on the part of the government, get yourselves out of the state of denial that there are things that have been done by your fellow aboriginals that you yourselves should newer have allowed to happen in the areas of abuse of children and misappropriation of money.

It’s interesting that you should refer to fiduciary obligations – but you do so only insofar as it refers to a right of Brough to visit communities. Rights of fiduciary obligation actually refer to government’s having a duty to provide equitable services to all citizens, highlighted by good faith, loyalty and trust. I’ve yet to see any good faith coming from Brough.

Yes he entitled to see how well those disincentives and funding withdrawals his government has instigated on the most disadvantaged people in Australia - and this Sir - is your only argument.

And democratically speaking - Indigenous people have the same right to dissent as other Australians. You appear to have some problems understanding this.

Whether Liberal or Labor I always wonder why they pick people like Brough to be the Indigenous affairs Minister. They are usually weird people, no prior experience or knowledge of Aboriginal people and like yourself don’t seem to know or care about what they ‘don’t know’. These communities are not there to be a training ground for people like Brough. They should know or have the intellectual capacity to grasp the complexities at hand. Leadership requires one to have a perspective on the positive as well as negative. Brough is clearly shell shocked about what he does not know – just like you.

Lastly, I and others here can see through your thin veil of concern for Aboriginal
people as nothing more than a backdoor approach to playing the blame game.

My insults to you are far-outweighed by your astounding ignorance of the facts. If you don’t know anything why not engage with this ignorance rather than defend it?

Mal B monsters communities because he’s clearly inadequate for the job

Rainier

Blaming it all on the governments past and present lets everyone off the hook, huh?

As you very well know, my reference to fiduciary responsibility concerned managers and others who have been devolved responsibility, especially as regards the management of affairs of local communities.

What is so wrong with asking for indigenous governance to be improved? After all, the safety of people and 'leakage' millions of dollars of taxpayers money are involved.

It is an indisputable fact that the elders and other older men of some communities have indulged in continuing campaigns of violence against women and youth. They are also implicated in the loss and re-direction of resources that were allocated for the benefit of the community not just them.

Why shouldn't indigenous women and youth expect the rights and protection enjoyed by other Australians? However there needs to be a departure from the present system where it has failed women and youth and funds have not reached areas of need.

Federal and State ministers are working together for improvements and while there would always be some Party politics involved it is completely unreasonable to spurn those efforts and encourage heckling and rabble rousing.

You yourself admit that intervention by government is required and with that in mind maybe you will be interested in a recent report that says just that.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1803705.htm

Cornflower,

Show me hard evidence for your allegations and I'll take you seriously.

Show me the bipartisan agreements between State and Federal governments on health policing, housing and community development.

Show me the focused efforts of State governments responding to the hundreds of reports and recommendations emanating from investigations and research conducted over the years.

Show me where government has invested in the development of real indigenous governance - not self management of government devolved programs - but self determination based on Indigenous jurisdictional powers.

And in doing so be mindful that newspaper stories and what Alan Jones, Patrick Duffy, John Laws and others does not count as evidence.

You're out of you're depth mate, another armchair liberal trying to exorcise your own white moral panic. Your base-level knowledge just isn’t capable of informing an opinion of Indigenous social policy.

Its people like you are part of the problem not part of the solution.

Calling you a redneck just doesn't seem adequate.

Be satisfied that I've been generous in providing you’re with some therapy here on OLO.

Have a nice day.

"Last week the federal police arrived at Mutitjulu with search warrants, and turned over the home and office of Dorethea Randall, the community's acting chief executive office, seizing her computer hard-drive.

An unusually coy Minister Brough had no comment to make about what he has described as “operational police matters”.

Why don't the federal police raid Mal Brough's office. He is clearly up to no good in relation to Indigenous peoples?

Rainer don't you get weary of people just ignoring your often very correct statements and very good arguments? Worse still the way they are using spin rubbish produced for people with an inclination to believe anything that appeases their righteous world view must be so disappointing for you and yours. At least you can hold your head high amongst Australia's Indigenous peoples - having their respect is truly a blessing for you. Don't ever expect australians to say sorry - we should beg for Indigenous peoples' forgiveness.

Graham Ring thanks for exposing Mal Brough's lack of understanding and thus apparent lack of support from Indigenous peoples. Mind you he has kept the racists happy.

Also given the recent death on Palm Island of an Indigenous man in custody and the strained relations that Indigenous people currently have with the police, isn't it kind of disrespectful to be opening a police station under their noses. Dirty backhander if ever there was one.

Ignore the heart sinkers and seek out the heart lifters. Best wishes.

Ronnie Peters and Rainier et al, please read

http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1802593.htm

Then come back and tell us that we don't know what we are talking about.

VK3AUU,
You seem to read into things what you want to hear.
read what Alf Davis said VERY carefully and very SLOWLY then THINK VERY carefully and slowly.

Alf points out very clearly that it is the failure of those who should be helping that is making issues worse.

Alf is a very good and strong Indigenous man. I have a lot of respect for him though I have only met him once. He is committed and caring and his message desperately needs to be heard.

Simply playing the blame game does not help protect kids, black or white.

Mal Brough's mob, the pollies, are playing politics and the blame game while achieving sweet nothing.

How about demanding what the police and judiciary have been doing all this time.

Why have the police done so little, or the helping professions, or the pollies.

The good Lord knows there has been enough reports and complaints made. (Oh sorry most of them have been made by Indigenous people, often victims. We must wait until a white person makes these complaints so that they become legitimate.)

This latest bleating is to round up the rednecks to beat the same old battered british Race drum that heralds the Howard horde into battle.

VK3AUU Hope you weren't wearing dirty boots when you posted that link.

VK3AUU’s message to self: “Must not go to dog park before posting.”

Alf Davis pretty well confirms Graham Ring's article.

Politics/ideology informs VK3AUU’s reading; reality informs Indigenous people’s position towards the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Mal Brough.

“A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely
rearranging their prejudices.” William James

Thanks for helping lift the heavy load here Ronnie,

VK3AUU, yes you do know what you're talking about insofar as extrapolating from your limited life experience of these issues and selective news articles you rely on to form an opinion

Rainier

You asked for evidence that there is violence aagainst women and youth in Aboriginal communities. It is in my first post, simply click on the hyperlinks.

Are you saying that the ABC footage was concocted?

What about the notorious case of the 12 year old boy who was sexually assaulted. Not unusual in some communities. Here is a Bulletin article which discusses Mal Brough's tough job and it also refers to the awful treatment of the 12 year old boy.
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=144640

Is The Bulletin wrong too?

I also referred to the loss and misappropriation of money and assets. The Auditor General (Australian National Audit Office) tabled a number of audit reports in Parlianment which found serious loss of funds and incorrectness in financial reports (including no reports at all). ANAO's audit reports are publically available www.anao.gov.au

Of course you may also believe that the Auditor General is also wrong.

Where in my posts have I claimed that violence and abuse do not happen??

What I have been attempting to do is to try to point out how your very narrow minded and distant perspective is informed by the sensationism of the reports you cite.

I’m starting to think you have some kind of cognitive disability as you don’t seem to be able to grasp what I and others are attempting to say to you. Read this sentence again please, its for your own good.

Or is it simply you’re too proud to admit you’re out of your depth?

But lucky for you I’m a patient teacher.

From the beginning:

Do they require our concern? YES Of course they do.

Do they require your biased and reactionary analysis? NO

Will you get out from behind your computer and lend a hand? NO

Will you spend more time trying to understanding and research the history of these issues commensurate with the knowledge one requires to understand its complexities? NO

So why don't you just STFU until you’ve achieved some real knowledge about this issue. If you don’t want to hear it from this Aboriginal person, go out to the communities and hear from others.

Rainier

Why blame others? Mal Brough is echoing what others say, including the substantial majority of the indigenous community. There is no priority higher than the freedom and safety of people. However that is not the case in some Aboriginal communities where bullies take advantage of their position, strength and customary law to molest and beat the daylights out of women and children and to steal and trash assets provided for the use and betterment of the whole community. They need to be identified and stopped forthwith.

Aboriginal communities are saying the same as the broader community: that women and youth must be able to live and prosper without being sexually abused and beaten.

Some communities can get it right, why not others?

But in any event there has to be acceptance by all Aboriginal men in particular that rape, molestation, theft and murder are serious crimes that should result in jail sentences. Perpetrators are protected in some communities and that is the first reason why the crimes continue to be committed.

How many women come out of hospital only to be felled again that day by a gutless bully? How many kids are neglected? Why?

You cannot absolve the Aboriginal community from taking responsibility. However while many do want to take responsibility for their actions (and there are many examples of success) there are others who do not, because they see advantage in not doing so.

Education is the key, but how can that happen when people live in fear for their lives and bullies smash facilities or convert them to their private use?

Have a look at your own behaviour on this forum. Where is the value in trying to intimidate and humiliate others? It is not about win/lose, it is about getting better understanding and cooperation.

Rainier,
WELL SAID.

Cornflower,
while you are on the blame game, what about blaming those who are employed to protect these citizens.

Where the hell are the police? What the hell are they doing to protect these Australians? If you are so concerned why aren't you out there demanding that justice is done.

Why not call on the police, child safety, public servants and others who are paid to uphold the law and protect the vulnerable, to do their jobs. Oops sorry most of them are white and too often saddled with your unfortunate afliction as noted by Rainier.

No one has said that these acts of violence are anything but an abomination or that they don't happen, in fact as noted earlier there are many reports and complaints raised by Aboriginal people and their colleagues - but you and your ilk are so busy blaming Aboriginal people and ignoring others who have been complicit it allowing such dysfunctional systems to exist.

Don't you have access to the news, it is not just Aboriginal people who are committing such abominations. Wasn't there a senior police prosecutor somewhere in Australia that was stood down for similar.

You and your kind are simply part of the problem, for you simply refuse to think - you just parrot away with your little minds the bigotry that has caused such a mess in the first place.

Or to put it another way, did you see that Rolf Harris apologised for his song Tie Me Kangaroo Down. The objectionalbe fact, expecially for your mob, is that when the song was first recorded it demonstrated to the world that Aboriginal slavery was an acceptable and humourous event.
Now you and your mates might be able to inform me when that song was recorded?

Here we go again. Why does it have to be the responsibility of the police, welfare agencies etc. etc. etc. Can't you people see that it is up to your own communities to take charge of your own lives and be responsible for yourselves.

It is no wonder that the white community think you are a bunch of drongos. We are all individually responsible for own own destiny. Take charge of your own lives as did the bloke in the story that I pointed to. Stop blaming others for your troubles. Come to the realisation that you no longer are a tribe of hunter/gatherers living in the dreamtime. Stop hiding behind all the tribal law BS and punish those who are responsible for the misdeeds. Wean yourselves off the welfare teat and get your acts together, then you can hold your heads up again.

Cornflower, oh god, you almost got me. You're a young liberal aren't you! LOL

For a minute there i thought you might be someone who has actually knew something.

Move along lad, you're wasting my time.

Rainier

With few exceptions, people who respond to OLO articles do so in the honest belief that they can contribute to the understanding of all.

You know nothing about me yet you assume the worst and you have made every attempt to abuse and discourage me from contributing to this article. However the article was written to persuade people to a particular point of view and to get a reaction.

For my part, I have cautioned against disrupting the Minister's visits. He is there to learn and constructive criticism of policy could ensure he completes his visits as a well-informed champion for indigenous people.

Also, attempted intimidation of the Minister through rabble-rousing or mobbing would flag to the downtrodden that their circumstances are indeed hopeless, thus rendering it more unlikely that they would come forward to seek counselling, support and relief from the crimes being committed against them.

The incidence of abuse and neglect of children in some indigenous communities is of nightmare proportions and it is growing. Because abuse and neglect are a normal part of life for many and it is systemic, corrective action cannot be taken from within. To have any chance of success, it must come from outside. Self governance cannot be contemplated while responsibility and accountability are absent and lawlessness abounds. Self governance got some communities into this mess.

Further, customary imperatives cannot be given priority where they could result in harm to those who are vulnerable or cannot stand up for themselves. It is not only women and children who lead limited, mean lives because bullies get away with murder, there are many men too who have had enough too.

Of course indigenous people have to take responsibility for the outcomes of their own behaviour, but how can the victims of abuse and violence learn there is anything different in life when their persecutors can take advantage with impunity and from behind the veil offered by secluded communities?

The worst service anyone could do to victims of abuse is to encourage them to distrust and fear those who could help them.

Cornflower, you obviously get some d hermeneutic enjoyment in writing and then reading your own gospel on what you think Aboriginal people and communities should or should not do.

Perhaps you're just trying to piss me off? It doesn't work.

Perhaps you're just unable to come up with any original thought? Well that’s plainly clear.

You've repeated yourself so much that you don't even appear to realise it. Are you the full quid?

As for not knowing anything about you - you've revealed enough for me to know that you know very little.

I think that as an Aboriginal man with many years experience on these matters I'm well qualified to determine when I see and read the idea’s of ‘dud’.

Line up in the queue, you've got plenty of company ahead of you.

My advice is that you read more broadly, speak to some Aboriginal leaders and community people and get some real life experience from which you can engage in discussions such as this. Until you’ve reached an appropriate level of knowledge on these matters, you’re opinions are nothing more than naïve hairy chest beatings.

End of discussion

Rainier

Blustering and bullying gets you nowhere. You are stuck in a rut.
If you have nothing more to learn or contribute then so be it, but why not move yourelf and your baggage out of the way and let others have a go?

An increasing number of indigenous people will take opportunities move forward if they can get relief from the oppressive culture of abuse and bullying that is presently rife in their communities.

The wellbeing and education of children and mothers must be the priority otherwise the cycle of damage will continue through successive generations. Indigenous men have been hogging the centre stage for years so it is time to let women and children through to take a turn.

anytime you'd like to jump from outside your computer and 'visit' a community let me know. Until then, try pulling your head out from you're rear end. Vaseline helps.

Rainier

Your aggression and stream of insults are way out of line. I don't mind people speaking with passion, however no-one should have to put up with your belligerence and crudity.

Have a good day.

VK3AUU,
the police, welfare etc. etc should be doing their job.
They are getting paid to do it.
Get it?
To put it in simple terms, workers, for example the Police are paid to get the baddies.

If they turn a blind eye they are not doing their JOB.

If they are not doing their JOB, they are not doing what they are being paid for.

One could even get the idea that if they are not doing thier job and ignoring the baddies, that they are condoning it.

Many people refer to those who are being paid to do a job, but dont actually do the job, as bludgers.

Your pathetic little insults do give a good impression as to your part in the overall problem facing Australia today.

Your polite turn of phrase demonstrates which part of your anatomy does your thinking.

I don't think that there is any cure for your particular dis-eases, nastiness and bigotry.

Mal Brough must learn to be a bit more DIPLOMATIC in his approach if he wants to succeed as Minister for Indigenous Affairs .
Aboriginal People have been "Bashed" by us whites as a race for 200 years .They are very sensitive to our criticsm often misplaced.
We now have Mal and his mates saying its ok to lease their land to anybody and are also talking about taking away their entry permit system .Does he really think that this will lessen the alcohol and drug availability and solve their problems.
Cornflower , you ,like the rest of us don't like the violence in some comunities but the men probably need more help to escape from their terrible cycle of despair and violence .How about sticking up for the men a bit .Just a bit.
Knowing Howard and the Nationals , just when Mal starts to learn how to talk to Aboriginal People, gain their respect and do something culturally positive and helpfull he will get the "White Blackfella " label from the Party rednecks and get shifted .

If you people expect the Minister to listen to your concerns then you should stop acting like a bunch of stone-age savages and treat him with some respect when he pays you a visit.

There is absolutely nothing to be gained by confrontation. You need to sit down calmly and discuss your concerns in a rational manner. You are not going to get any changes in government policy while you all carry on like prize pork chops hurling abuse at those who carry your destiny in their hands.

Have a look at those communities which seem to be succeeding and see what lessons you can learn from them. Then you might have some basis for discussions with the government about what you can do to improve your own community. It is only through a dialogue that this can happen.

What, calmly like you VK3AUU,

You who spits bile and venom in your words.

It is a bit rich coming from such a nasty and twisted mind.

REMEMBER
It is a fundamental right of ALL Australians to protest in a non-violent manner

Late in the thread, I know - but reading some of the opinions expressed here just makes me shake my head. While one is apparently no longer supposed to identify racist ideas and statements as such, in my opinion the above discussion exemplifies quite nicely the breadth of anti-Aboriginal racism that still pervades Australian culture at every level.

In fact, I've noticed a resurgence in it of late - at least in this forum. I've also begun to notice it in the rural district where I live. Mind you, it never really went away here.

Better late than never CJ,

Reflecting on your observations it clear to me now that the consolidation and preservation of white privilege and racism are now all but a self-regulating and self-sustaining process.

Its naturalness has become irrefutable and justified unto itself.

Brough’s visits are seen by the naïve here as caring and responsible.

That he will deliver absolutely no benefits whatsoever from his "inspections" of communities is not called into question.

His presence it seems is in itself enough and all Aboriginal people deserve.

The indignation expressed by posters here that Aboriginal people protested is symptomatic of the aforementioned self regulated and self sustaining racism they pretend not to practice.

Rainier, no doubt if someone accused you of being racist you would object, but you would be standing on very shaky ground. Let's be honest, we are all racist, including you.

VK3AUU, Indeed yes, we are all racists at some level, although I'm perhaps more aware of it than you are and as such - much more careful.

The racism I speak of allows you NOT to think about what it means to be white because being white means you don't have think of yourself as being ethnic or different, you just think its 'normal'and being a 'human being' don't you.

If this is the racism you are accusing me of, a racism that you are blind to in yourself ? If so how can I be responsible for your own lack of self reflection and then outward projections of this toxic racism on to others?

And I bet all the money in the world that you don't understand what I've just asked you.

If you don't think of yourself as s normal human being then who am I to argue.

Just as I predicted.