I'm for Howard going in and taking some immediate action to help the abused...then think about the long term care of the community.

What disturbs me about this whole thing is the people scrambling like cockroaches to jump on the gravy train while it's tooting its horn.

I believe it might be targetting the NT because the report "little children are sacred" was a report that came from the territory...someone correct me if I'm wrong.

StG,
We have seen many reports in many States, why would you confine your "war against child abuse" only in the N.T. with a few hundred people when Australia is rife with child abuse in every State and Territory? There will be some political spin on this before long trust me, if you thought Warney could spin just watch little Johnny.

I understand that the miniscule number of substantial houses in

these communities

often have an average of 15 people seeking shelter in them - it's

no wonder that if you put large numbers of alcohol addicted people

in these family situations that "all hell " breaks loose.

What support will Howard,Brough and Tony Abbott give these addicted

parents and other family members ?

Absolutely nothing has been promised by them to overcome one of the

major reasons for this horrible social mess.

Last night I watched the All Blacks play the Australians in the

Rugby Bledisloe Cup sponsored by Bundaberg Rum and a beer

company. When a score is registered, a glass full of celebratory

beer "pop-Up" now appears at the edge of the screen - the sponsoring

of sport by these companies and the Federal Government's complicity

can only encourage young and old, black and white, Australians to

increase the abuse of this poison !

Will these irresponsible, unethical and rich Alcohol Companies

throw in a few bob to help with the shocking health of Aboriginal

People ,their source of largesse - I doubt it .

KartiyaJim:

Communities don't have "miniscule numbers of substantial houses" - they usually have lots of substantial houses - but sometimes still not enough for all who need them - it's true they "often have an average of 15 people seeking shelter in them" - but this is often because parents can't say no to their offspring and grandkids crowding into their houses - dependency is not just about dependency on grog, dope or welfare - many people are also overly dependent on the responsible family members who take the trouble to keep power on in their house, food in the fridge, money in the bank, a working phone and a car on the road - it provides more spare change to maximise their dependence on cheap thrills such as small amounts of expensive ganja, copious amounts of cheap grog, a few porn videos, plenty of cigarettes (there is an epidemic of tobacco dependency; as with many other statistics, the nicotine dependency rate in Aboriginal communities runs at nearly four times the national average) - endemic gambling addiction is another factor in this local political economy - plus many people find it too dangerous in un-policed or under-policed but often very violent communities to live on their own without the protective presence of plenty of relatives - plus many people just like to live very convivially, with plenty of friends and family members around all the time - other houses are abandoned for long periods because of beliefs about the spirits of the dead hanging round the deceased person's former haunts - then idle kids move in on the empty house with games that are destructive to the fabric of the building - so there may be empty houses sprinkled around the same community where there are many overcrowded houses - and the management of the local council is usually too over-extended, under-resourced and lacking skills to cope with providing some of the obvious solutions to these problems - as you can see, things are not as easy as they may at first appear
Danny Bhoy

SHONGA

I don't disagree with anything you said.

Do we have the resources to "hit" every community in the bush?.

IMO there needs to changes to centrelink...how does this grant for new borns effect these communities?, and the young girls having kids in them?...maybe "rent" should be paid straight into the landlords accounts for them. Maybe food stamps instead of cash. Alcohol ban is a must...some of the stories of rape and sexual assault SEEMS to stem from substance abuse.

I don't have the answers, but definitely there needs to be nation wide action...my missus comes from Walgett and lightening ridge...some of the stories from there are horrendous.

Too true Dan , I hadn't mentioned the Tobacco companies but agree

with you about the ill effects of smoking addiction in those

communities .

I can remember seeing in the Kimberleys, a Marlborough Man like ad

on "Stockman's " - a brand of "roll your own" tobacco a few

years ago.

Great marketing in Aboriginal cattle country !