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The Forum > Article Comments > We are having a 'save the Aboriginal children' blitzkrieg > Comments

We are having a 'save the Aboriginal children' blitzkrieg : Comments

By John Tomlinson, published 29/6/2007

Have Howard’s practical reconciliation policies failed?

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RobP, i don't think the author is saying that at all. But if you the man behind the steering wheel for the last ten years and you fail to stop at every red traffic light signal there must be some accountability the driver has.

The red lights have been numerous reports, meetings with both Indigenous leaders and others about the need to intervene over the last 10 years.

Are you suggesting Howard was just a passenger on this trip?
Posted by Rainier, Saturday, 30 June 2007 5:25:02 PM
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g'day,
I agree with all the comments accusing the 'Lying Rodent' and his henchmen of attempting a wedge in an election year, however, I think that he has seriously misjudged the electorate this time.
Labor could not have initiated the debate and action which the government has, but JH and his cronies cannot and will not complete it. All the cynical comments about the potential land grab, use of the military and haste in the current response are right on the money.
However, this time as a people we cannot let the chance to make a lasting impact on the conditions faced by so many of our indigenous citizens slide.
It's time for a JFK style 'Ask not what my country can do for me ....' speech by an Australian political leader.
We all need to grasp the nettle here and do the right thing by the most disadvantaged group in our national community.
So I say to all my fellow Australians, "Think Australia. What can we do?"
Don't just leave it to government because they are supposed to solve these things. They can't. It's up to all of us to make this work.
If we do not, then who are we?
regards Col Gradolf.
TULLY FNQ.
Posted by colgradolf, Saturday, 30 June 2007 6:53:01 PM
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Excellent article! You tell it as it is, how indigenous people have been treated since colonization. Whereas there was improvement in the 80's in the Territory, the situation has become progressively worse since Howard, and has deteriorated year by year as Howard slashed funding and services and attempted to return to the 1897 legislation, assimilation and cultural genocide.

Having lived in Alice and working in Community Development for close to 25 years, I liaised regularly with the Centre for Aboriginal Development and saw the improvements, in education, health, substance abuse treatment, employment and employment training, and the subsequent rise in self-respect, self-confidence and self-esteem. Although I moved to Queensland in 1982, I kept in touch with friends who worked with aboriginals in Alice. Once Howard took over the country, all the services and conditions deteriorated drastically as he cut services and funding. And throughout the years he has worked toward cultural and actual genocide with his 10 point plan. The current 'shock and awe' military invasion and occupation is a)another step in his planned cultural genocide and b)the pre-election 'black children overboard' ploy to draw in the racists and the naïve, gullible fools, c) resumption of aboriginal land so the mineral resources, mainly uranium, can be transferred to the mines.

Celivia, and there are the same and more cases of white child abuse in all states and the NT. As you say, the reason the SS troops are invading the NT is because of the uranium. I had a chuckle about those who were concerned about the dirt, obviously not in to camping. Central Australian aboriginal culture is that water is used for drinking, not washing, unless at a waterhole. Kids were being trained to wash teeth and bodies when they went to school...until Howard cut education funding. Aboriginal health was improving until Howard cut health funding, etc, ad infinitum
Posted by Bobbicee, Saturday, 30 June 2007 11:47:47 PM
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The authoritative Bobbiecee speaks A-grade piffle.

Things have been bad for a lot longer than Howard has been in power. (I would be interested to hear about what the alleged improvements to substance abuse treatment in Alice before 1982 were. I was in Alice working in this field at that time, and I can't imagine what you are talking about).

Your assertion that "Once Howard took over the country, all the services and conditions deteriorated drastically as he cut services and funding" is wrong. If you follow the amounts allocated for Indigenous programs in Commonwealth budgets, the totals have continued to rise during Howard's period. If services deteriorated, it was not for lack of funding.

It is gratuitous nonsense to say that "throughout the years he has worked toward cultural and actual genocide with his 10 point plan" (and what is this 10 point plan of which you speak?).

There is no "military invasion and occupation" of the NT at the moment - you have no idea what you are talking about. The (locally based and recruited) Norforce blokes are providing logistical support for the public servants doing the consultation/evaluation of conditions, and footy practice for the kids. Talk about "shock and awe"!

If Howard ends up "resum[ing] aboriginal land so the mineral resources, mainly uranium, can be transferred to the mines" I will publicly eat a decayed rat, along with my hat.

It is completely outrageous and infantile to make stupid assertions that "the reason the SS troops are invading the NT is because of the uranium." Are you entering a second childhood?

Nor has "Howard cut education funding."

Far from "cut[ting] health funding, etc, ad infinitum", funds for Indigenous health have greatly increased under Howard. The community-controlled Aboriginal Medical Services are much better funded now than they were in 1996. That is not to say that the funds are yet sufficient, or that Howard is truly sincere, or has done enough, but extravagant inaccuracy as evidenced by your posting is offensive, unhelpful and only serves to alienate those whom we may wish to see shifting their political allegiances.
Posted by Dan Fitzpatrick, Sunday, 1 July 2007 12:35:40 AM
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Dear Rainier,

I haven't suggested burning suburbs to the ground at all. Have you seen these communities? They are usually in the middle of nowhere with virtually no facilities. They are Third World dumps where people should not be trying to live.

My point is this idiot, agreeable to the lack of jobs as you say, wants to somehow create jobs in these dumps.

There are no indigenous jobs.

Except as I have highlighted. White jobs. Why? Well you couldn't get an educated indigenous person to work in these "schools" could you. They don't want to work there as they know it has no future. Those that do work in communities are in other States and close to urban areas. Not in the middle of the desert.

Quite a few Aboriginal women are employed by NT Education as what they call "School Assistants". Do you know what they do? Nothing, it's just the female version of CDEP.

The low employment suburbs you allude to have their problems but they have access to education, hospitals, well currently anyway, water (again, currently), electricity, family services, rehab centres, treatment programs and all the rest. They don't need to be built, maintained and staffed. They already are.

If you want a further insight into my solution it is this. It's as useless as any other so called plan really.

1. Burn these disfunctional havens for abuse to the ground. Investigate and charge all abusers.

2. Offer to relocate those left, about half, all women and children, to those communities that are functional. And there are some such. But not many in these ridiculously remote areas.

Note here that there are so many different tribes that they may refuse to live together at all, anywhere.

3. Those that choose to remain survive exactly the same way you and I would if we chose to live in a desert with no facilities. Hunter gatherers.

No amount of police is going to change what these places offer. They may make it safe for a while but will they stay forever? Nope, just till the election is over.
Posted by pegasus, Sunday, 1 July 2007 9:19:48 AM
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Pegasus ol chap, you are off on a wrong track. Time to take stock and look around with fresh eyes.

Some of the remote communities "are ... in the middle of nowhere with virtually no facilities" but most aren't. Quite a few have quite a lot of facilities, and potential to provide a lot more jobs than is currently the case. There is also a valid social policy debate to be had about the rationale for some intelligent job creation, to help provide bridges for these generations to get over some of the present problems and out into the wider workforce. The big problem is that for 30 years, many of these remote communities have been left to moulder with insufficient policing, poor resources for management and administration, no enforcement of school attendance, and no realistic integrated job and training development processes.

Your remark about "Quite a few Aboriginal women are employed by NT Education as what they call "School Assistants". Do you know what they do? Nothing, it's just the female version of CDEP" is gratuitous and inaccurate. Quite a few assistant teachers are serious and effective assetts in the schools, and teachers often find it difficult to operate without them.

Some of your points have degrees of validity, but such extravagant damnation and lack of regard for some of the facts does not enable you to be taken seriously.
Cheers
Desperate Dan
Posted by Dan Fitzpatrick, Sunday, 1 July 2007 10:09:06 AM
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