Dr Tomlinson's article is a welcome summary of the history of government dealings with aborigines, and especially of the Howard government's lamentable record.
The "Little Children are Sacred" report did not recommend the kind of police/military crackdown, nor the mandatory comprehensive medical testing of children - that were announced by Howard. The Howard initiative also ignored the recommendations of that report, about early childhood education.

But - it is obvious that election time is approaching. Howard needed an issue to make him look noble and altruistic. And what a suitable issue! On the one hand, it takes attention away from other matters. It also nicely portrays the aboriginals as, at best incompetent.

It takes attention away from the "From the Heart, for the Heartland" speaking tour of aboriginal traditional owners protesting against uarnium mining and nuclear waste dumping on their land. Yesterday, Pat O'Shane, prominent aboriginal lawyer, pointed out that "Removal of permits and the [Australian] Commonwealth's control of the territory would enable Howard to place control of the mineral resources on Aboriginal lands into private hands".
Christina Macpherson www.antinuclearaustralia.com

Good one John!

While Howard has clearly tried to keep Aboriginal affairs off the national agenda (the out of sight and out of mind approach) his belated intervention will not deliver him another term.

No amount of acting suddenly compassionate and caring will convince me otherwise. He has repeated suggested that this issue is beyond politics but this only provides an out for not explaining what his own ideological beliefs and politics for his own inaction of the last decade. Like not knowing about the AWB scandal?

As one Aboriginal health professional recently said- she would willingly conduct ear and eye examinations on Howard and his mates as they have clearly been blind and deaf for over ten years.(perhaps longer)

My predictions:

1. The Australian and other NewsCorp media outlets will run good news stories from inside the various communities over the next 3 months. This will allow Rupert Murdoch to deliver his practical re-election contribution to the Howard Coalition.
2. Dumb Australian’s will believe Howard has solved the ‘Aboriginal problem and this will improve his chances for another term.
3. The problems will still be there this time next year and Brough and Howard will have already ‘cut and run’ and declared that "they can't solve everything", "its a blackfella thing - you know what we mean"

Mark my words.

Does anybody know how many taxpayers’ dollars have been consumed by Aboriginal Affairs over the past 10 years? [an estimate to the nearest billion dollars will do].

Question for you - how much did it cost to buy Australia from Aboriginal people?

I have been surprised by what I have read the last few days and ashamed I had not taken the time to seek this information earlier.

It seems clear that there has been a comprehensive failure by all governments in their duty of care toward some Australian citizens.

It also seems to me, that with this knowledge, the reaction by the Federal government is possibly motivated by a desire to remove itself from future accountability by placing the blame on the Northern Territory government and aboriginal leaders.

Many measures announced could well have been instigated without the arrogance displayed by both Howard and Brough. The message sent has already been negative and already there has been changes to the hastily drawn up plan proving that consultant was clearly required from the outset.

It is very distressing.

I wish the best for the aboriginal communities and hope from this day on as a nation we support them 100% and ensure our future governments are 100% accountable on aboriginal issues.

I do see now a clear need for an apology.If not for deeds done decades or centuries ago, but for what has happened under our watch.

The record of the Howard government in indigenous matters is like the prelate's egg - good and bad in parts. The government did move to stem at least in part, the misdirection and wastage of resources that have been the subject of many Auditor General's reports over thirty years and more. Recent recognition that indigenous people should take responsibility and be accountable is a step away from the 'Uncle Tom' dependence that has been criticised by activists over the years.

But why bring baggage to the table at a time of momentous change? What other issue has managed to galvanise both sides of politics and all layers of government to cooperate and take action? Even if the PM is playing politics (and he would not be the only one doing that) why risk scuttling this rare and golden opportunity to get some real change on the board?

If Howard is playing politics, nothing would suit him more than to engaged in a good old Aussie blue on this matter. Talk is cheap on both sides of politics. Alternatively, the many people with goodwill towards indigenous issues can act to ensure that the debate is not trivialised into a left v right catfight, nor is it narrowed into race and gender politics.

So here is a plea to forget the baggage for a while - it will still be there to rake over some other time - and go for some practical action on child neglect NOW. There are thousands of vulnerable children and youth at risk and the debate has been hijacked too many times before.