Old farts?! No, that would not be a fair assessment.

Restructuring forced redundancy on many relatively young, well trained and competent people. Others chose to retire early but would still like to contribute to the country.

Besides that, there are people 65+ who are fitter and more alert than people in their forties.

I wouldn't worry that the government getting a freebee, think about it as the indigenous people getting one instead.

There is no chance that help will be forced on communities; the original suggestion was that help would only be offered where requested.

There are many very useful and motivated people out there who have offered to help. The proposal deserves a fair hearing.

Pardon me Pericles. I am an old fart grey nomad. For what its worth i also have academic qualifications but mine are in engineering. I have mentored young ones with their ambitions in this field. Your post is both arrogant and i suppose in keeping with your training, somewhat pontificating. You arrogantly assume we travellers feel fragile and hemmed in. How do you know? It is commonly acknowledged that that travelling community, especially the large membership of the CMCA, for campervan and motorhome owners,are willing to help anyone in any situation on the road. There is "so called expertise" in trades and professions. Professional commentators would not be of any use. Most grey nomads would volunteer their services. I dont think many would wish to be used as a resource,by any organisation,or government.Maybe Pericles you have ambitions to teach and mentor us all.Would your pet subject be lifeskills and therefore assessable of us by your esteemed self. Off we go poot poot part part.

Cornflower, I did not mean to imply that older Australians, or the National Seniors Association, would not make a capable and valuable contribution. Like the Indigenous Community Volunteers skills-transfer scheme, on which this new programme is modelled, the Senior Volunteers for Indigenous Communities will be a positive force.

I wanted to draw attention, though, to the way in which the Minister described the programme and linked it to other, broader issues.

A volunteer programme should not take the place of a genuine government commitment to provide resources in the long-term, and real respect for the right of Indigenous people to make decisions about their own lives and communities.

Kirsty McLaren

Kirsty
I accept where you re coming from and the government has had ten years to show leadership.

However, over billions of dollars have been poured into indigenous issues over forty years, yet many children live in abject poverty, have poor nutrition and many cannot read or write. Women and children are abused daily in some communities. Money granted for the betterment of indigenous communities has, at community level, been misdirected, squandered and stolen.

Plainly, there are systemic deficiencies that need to be corrected. The Australian National Audit Office has answered that question many times regarding funding and has recommended improvements which need to be implemented. ANAO’s reports are tabled in Parliament.

We need also to ask, “If India can have a UNICEF initiative of zero tolerance of violence against children, why are feminists and multiculturalists so opposed to a similar initiative in Australia?” For example, Australian feminists do not oppose child abuse through child marriage to old Aboriginal men. Why do feminists believe that violence against indigenous children (in this case girls) is OK, but it is not OK elsewhere in the community?

Likewise, it is known that basic hygiene could reduce disease (hepatitis, eye and respiratory problems, diahorrea) for thousands of indigenous children and save many lives. This isn’t rocket science: mothers need to wash their hands after changing infants and before preparing meals. They are also best placed to teach basic hygiene to children.

However, even after four decades of investment in experts of all descriptions who are 'sensitive' to indigenous culture, the creation of huge bureaucracies to service Aboriginals and implementation of self management of communities, basic hygiene has not improved. But community education kits are available world-wide and are used in developing and developed countries.

So what prevents the successful implementation of hygiene education in Australian indigenous communities?

Women and youth should speak for themselves and have a much greater role in governance at the local level and maybe the national seniors initiative could circumvent the 'middle men' (men and women) who hold back progress.

An excellent post Cornflower, very perspicatious.

My only comment here is I do not like the term - Stepping up to the plate - it is an American sporting term

No Australians step up to plates unless they are dish pigs in an eating house - we might go to the crease perhaps - but no plates.

Nor do we have side walks or eat cookies - lets be very sure about this - similarly touch downs are foriegn to us (will some one please tell Mark Holden).