I'd be curious to know - I haven't seen it stated in the press - whether the doctors screening for sexual abuse will also be screening for, and treating, other health problems prevalent in Aboriginal communities. Or is the government focussing on, and publicising, those issues which can be considered "the fault" of the people themselves?

I am an immigrant to this country. The thing that concerns me the most is the amazing amount of hatred and discrimination that Australian people as a whole have towards their indigenous population. You can deny this as much as you like but it’s the truth. I sense it in the way the non-indigenous Australians act towards and talk about Aborigines. I feel this hatred everywhere, from the workplace to country and city communities.

If you don’t love and respect a people no matter how much money and politics you trow at them you will never reach a solution. Big “shock and Awe” campaigns make ordinary Australians feel better about themselves because they don’t have to address the real issues entrenched in our consciousness as a people. Political fixes are just that, politics

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

Razz 4189,

What dreadful people we are. It's a wonder you came here in the first place; and an even bigger wonder that you are still here.

Your assertion that we can "deny this (your accusation) as much as you like but it's true" shows what a jolly open-minded person you are. Just the type we need here.

You also know what makes us "ordinary Australians feel good".

Do you intend to hang around long enough to find out what we think of immigrants who insult our hospitality?

Leigh. You forgot to mention that you are of immigrant origin! Not a native of Australia.

Healthwatcher:
in bald figures around $33 billion of Commonwealth funds has been spent directly on "Aboriginal Affairs" over the last ten years.

To be fair you would deduct from this the money spent on the CDEP (mistakenly known as the "black work for the dole scheme") as this is in lieu of benefits that people would be receiving anyway. This would take up around $3.5 billion.

Similarly with much of the rest of the Indigenous section of the Commonwealth's budget: the same amount should be deducted for expenditure on health services, in lieu of use of mainstream primary health facilities. This would bring us down to about $26 billion.

You could deduct another large hunk for public housing; more for education, employment services, municipal services etc. You would end up with only a relatively small fraction being spent on things that are distinctly different and Indigenous specific.

So don't get too anxious about that.

But what I suspect you are really concerned about is this: why has all the money spent by governments generally on Indigenous people over the last ten years not produced better results than appear to be the case?

The reasons for this are fairly complicated, but I believe that Brough is onto some of the reasons and trying to deal with them.

For example, the Commonwealth in the 70s and 80s unilaterally withdrew much of its direct activity and expenditure on job creation, community development, administration and management in Indigenous communities, which began the process of degeneration of standards and services in these places.

State governments (particularly the NT and SA) pulled back from adequately policing many remote Indigenous communities, and this led to a huge growth of substance abuse and violence, which in turn led to extraordinary increase of abuse and thuggery.

Consequently even the relatively high levels of expenditure (provided through grants to a ragtag army of small, often ill-governed and semi-competent councils and NGOs )has not been deployed in an "effective or efficient manner" over many years, and the average efficacy of many services has been on a down-hill run.

Kipp, in another 40,000 years, Leigh's descendants will also be entitled to claim they are indigenous Australians. After all, the Maoris have only been in New Zealand for less than 1000 years and they are making that claim already.

I'm not sure why everyone thinks that the present push is only going to last for six months. It will take longer than that to get the whole deal up and running. New staff need to be recruited, housing for the staff needs to be built, a whole raft of new infrastructure has to be put in place. All this is going to take time, probably something of the order of a couple of years if my understanding of the pace at which the Public service operates. Also, living in the Territory for a white person is not easy. It requires a greater than average dedication to the task so that the turnover of staff will be higher than would apply in the confines of the capital cities from where they will mostly be drawn. I have spent several years there in my youth so it is something about which I have some knowledge.

Kipp,

I am a native Australian because I was born here. I am as much a native as black Australians, whose forebears also immigrated here - from Polynesia and Asia. If you read history, you would know that the very first generation of white Australians were referred to as 'native'.

For the record, I am a third generation Australian of Scottish, English and German background . None of this so-called heritage means a thing to me as the only identity concerning me is Australian.

Also for the record, I firmly believe that the only true Australians are those born here. Yes, that does make people of non-Anglo/Saxon/Celtic parentage, irrespective of their skin colour or the shape of their eyes, just as Australian as I am, if they were born here. Unfortunately, many of these Australians are discouraged from thinking of themselves as true Australians, thanks to multiculturalists, left-wing lunatics, right-wing lunatics, and overseas-born officials who have their snouts firmly rammed into ethnic- industry, tax-payer funded, troughs.

Why is it that Democrats always reckon they have the answers but won't tell the rest of us?
I am a third generation Australian - but have to confess I do not feel very much at home here and feel less at home by the day. I am not allowed to acknowledge my ancestry as I am not indigenous or Greek or Vietnamese or some other 'ethnic' grouping. Not sure what it makes me - nothing at all probably.
Let's face it a good many 'indigenous' Australians have more immigrant blood in their veins than pre-settler blood. One of the real solutions might be to accurately acknowledge everyone's ancestry.
Many indigenous people resent the Clarks and Mansells of this world styling themselves as 'indigenous' and taking over their affairs to the detriment of everyone.

When 20 or more people are living in a 3 bedroom house, there will be abuse. When some of those people are drunk and many are vulnerable, there will be abuse. When the adults do no work, expend no physical effort, there is the potential for sexual abuse. In the past, aborigines were employed to build their own omes. The raw materials for adobe and pise exist on site. How can it cost $1.4 billion to build 4,000 homes - $350,000 each!? The undefined elements in this exercise seem daunting. What is to be done with abusers? Will they be charged, tried and if convicted imprisoned? How will their sentences be calculated? What will become of children found to be traumatised? How is employment to be generated in these settlements which can lead to youths and adults finding meaning and pride in their achievement?
Shock and awe? What foresight!

Turning off the 'river of grog' will make good headlines. But I fervently hope that appropriate medical support is provided. Sudden cessation of supply to a veteran alcoholic, without a medicinal substitute, can cause catastrophic and irreversible brain damage (yes, worse than what is caused by the alcohol itself). Unfortunately, because of the taboo nature of the affliction and its treatment, few are aware of this peril.

With due respect, Casual Reader, I would suggest that the Aboriginal Medical Services (I work for one), DHCS Clinics, NT & Commonwealth Health departments and all concerned are aware of this and have their medications and staff ready for that wonderful day when alcoholics en masse may have to put down the bottle.

Thank you Dan, you have put my concerns to rest. I am greatly relieved to know that people are aware of the risk, and the matter will be handled appropriately.

Of the thousands of words I have read on this topic since the declaration by our Beloved Leader, I have read only one comment which made any sense to me. It suggested that there are SOME successfully functioning indigenous centres. Why are they not being recognised and used as good examples?

As a former heavy drinker and smoker I can only see disaster for people who are suddenly cut off from their drugs of escape. I had work, interests, family support and fairly good health on my side. The overcrowded, unhealthy, unemployed, and unvalued have not.

I have great sympathy for the NT administration; of course it knew the extent and seriousness of the problems but it had neither the power nor the resources to tackle it.

In the first 24 hours we had a chorus of accusations that the PM was being paternalistic and colonial. Bless Noel Pearson (I think it was he) for saying that if that was going to protect abused children, bring it on.

Surgery might be a very radical approach to take to a cancer, but it seems to me that the time to discuss how the malignancy began and how to stop it recurring is after the scalpel has got rid of the ill.

Has anybody got any real solutions to offer? Could we perhaps look at any little areas of success that exist and encourage them to be adopted where they are so evidently needed?

Diana

jr here.my interests are getting on green2share like including d'StockMarket.I know a bit about Brisbane in the 60'/70's music scene and just ya general rough'n'tumble.

hope to see ya round.

Yes, Lyn, you're right, until Brough took over the OIPC was overseeing services. Of course it was shut down, just as other services were closed, funding was slashed. It was all part of Howard's blueprint for cultural genocide. Not only is there an empty police station, there is no Doctor, thanks to Brough taking away OIPC control and slashing funding.

I agree about the 6 month ban. The alcoholics will shift to fringe camps where grog is available. I was pleased to hear that NT medical services will be able to help those coming off the grog, Dan. I worked for Community Development in Alice for almost 25 years. There was a vast improvement in education, health, living conditions for 15 years, until funding was withdrawn. I also helped set up a de-tox and rehab centre, which has gone by the way since Howard cut the funding, despite the Commonwealth supposedly funding that centre.

Johntas, I had the same question. In the 70's and early 80's the indigenous were building their own homes. I agree with you, that spin about the cost of homes must be because Howard and Brough plan to ship in new materials and employ whites to build the homes. So much for aboriginal self-actualisation.

Razz, your observation was confirmed by the comments from several of the posters. The reason Howard has pulled this 'shock and awe' military invasion and occupation is a pre-election ploy designed to trigger the prejudice of the racists in an attempt to gain votes from the racists, and the gullible and naïve fools who really believe that Howard cares about the aboriginal situation. If he really cared he would have done something when the first report came out in 1997, or each year after that when aboriginal leaders begged for help. If he cared, he would also address all of the recommendations, not just 2 of them. And, he would have followed the recommendation for going in 'softly-softly' and not use shock and awe to con the gullible and racists. Pardon my cynicism as well.

Now hold yr horses there BobbieCee ol pal.

Now what's this nonsense about the OIPC being closed by Brough? If only he had, but it's still there, and has in fact been built up!

And what's this about no Doctor (at Mutitjulu I presume?) "thanks to Brough taking away OIPC control and slashing funding". The OIPC has nothing to do with doctors or health; they come under Tony Abbott's OATSIH. There has been no slashing of funding for doctors or anything to do with health. The Mutitjulu Health Service had not been able to recruit a permanent doctor for several years under Mr Randall's direction, years before ORAC put an Administrator in to deal with the chronic mismanagement and lack of key staff.

You seem obsessed with the idea that "There was a vast improvement in education, health, living conditions for 15 years, until funding was withdrawn." What is this about? Under Howard there has been more funding overall for Indigenous affairs than before? Please explain.

When you say "I also helped set up a de-tox and rehab centre, which has gone by the way since Howard cut the funding", to which supposed rahab & detox are you referring? I strongly suspect that your memory could be playing tricks with you. As far as I know, there has never been a proper detox and rehab service in Alice until we set up the ones at DASA and CAAAPU, and they are expanding, not closing down.

As for "the indigenous [sic] were building their own homes." This is a convenient myth, and happenend in very few places since the Native Affairs and Missionary regimes withdrew in the 60s and 70s.

I may be a "gullible and naïve fool" to use your terms, but what Brough is doing is a darn sight better than anybody else has done over the last 30 years to break the logjam and address some of the issues. By no means perfect, but a lot better than nothing. If it takes the imminence of an election to get things moving, then so be it!

There are good Aboriginal communities and the reasons why they are successful should be the criteria for all to work on.
Raz I consider your statement that white Australians "hate" aboriginal is so wrong, we do not hate them but when people use Victimhood as an excuse for not doing the right thing, we view them with less than respect.
They COULD do better, they should do better. Just sitting around waiting for the next drinking session, neglecting hygiene, abusing children and women, that is wrong,wrong ,wrong.
Anyone can keep their houses and yards tidy, only pigs live like pigs.
Unless the children are protected and educated, the whole awful abuse thing will go on through the generations.There is no excuse for it, none at all.
All the troubles are in Labor states, they have managed to look the other way now the Howard government has stepped in to do their work, they should be thoroughly ashamed of their inaction.

The thing is, how do we know that these Aboriginal families have been ignored the abuse? How can we be so sure that they did nothing to try to protect the children? How can we be so sure that it isn't the Aboriginal people's cries for help that have been ignored by our Government and what we are seeing now is just the result of years of Government cover up and neglect?

I have been trying to get justice and protection for my children from systematic bias, educational neglect, vilification, bullying, victimisation and discrimination being served to them by Public Servants in the Education Department and it has been impossible to have issues acknowledged or addressed. For trying to protect my children the system has turned on me. Nobody seems to have the power to do anything, and those about whom you complain seem to be the only ones that have rights. Rights that are valued and respected to the bitter end regardless if their vicitms are children.

What's the bet that Aboriginal people gave up trying to get help through frustration in trying to navigate a system that gives all the rights and power to the accused and doesn't have to care about the children.

Our Governments have alot to answer for.

Education - Keeping them Honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/
Our children deserve better

Following from my post above. I lodged formal complaints to the Ombudsman about victimisation, neglect and psychological abuse of children by members of the Department of Education. These allegations were not investigated and were ignored.

Of course the issue with the Aboriginal people is different because it is sexual abuse, but at the end of the day when the physical scars have healed all that is left is the psychological and emotional abuse of children. This type of abuse is the type that leaves the deepest scars.

In the 2002-2003 Ombudsman’s report under the heading:

'Behaviour causing psychological harm it states in part:

We use a definition of behaviour causing psychological harm that is quite narrow and only covers serious, persistent and targeted maltreatment of children.....

This type of abuse is potentially more destructive than other forms of abuse but is seldom the focus of research or intervention. For an allegation to be accepted as being in our jurisdiction, it must include three components.

1. Sustained or repeated behaviour directed at a particular child including humiliation, belittling, verbal abuse or making excessive demands, or a single incident that resulted in severe repercussions for a child.

2. A claim that the child has suffered harm including wetting themselves, vomiting, refusing to attend school or sleep disturbances.

3. A claim that the alleged harm was a direct result of the alleged behaviour.'

SO, it seems that before "IT COUNTS" our children have to be on their death beds holding a written confession

Actually folks, all the Hoo Hah and politicaly correct garbidge aside, the real question is ;

"What happens AFTER the ELECTION ?"

Wanna a bet the whole issue will be dropped like the proverbial hot cake ?
DUH, how fickle people's memories are, it wasn't so long ago, the very same esteemed (NOT) PM attempted to claim political mileage, (again from children) with the "Children Overboard Affair".
Just goes to show you, you can fool some people over and over again.

The indigenous issues confronting US,(that is every Australian,AND I INCLUDE OUR INDIGENOUS BRETHEREN in this ) are the responsability of each and every one of us.
However, from where I sit, (in W.A. the most heavily populated state of indigenous people, and actually have lived and worked side by side with them) our indigenous bretheren HAVE their part to play in this issue, a part that I see very few taking up on their own behalf, and in that regard lies the problem. IMHO.

Besides our assistance, (and despite the many claims made, there has been tremendous advancement in this regard over the last 20 years) they must be prepared to help themselves, yet this is not being done.
Until they do this, sadly, they are doomed.

A short statement on money:

Its clear to me that there is no obvious and simple proportional relationship between measures of needs and the funds required to achieve outcomes. Dan Fitzpatrick [and others] assumes there IS in his never ending hysterics about 'blacks getting his money'.

It must be noted that while measures of relative need can be useful as a guide to assisting judgements on how resources might be better distributed, a formula based approach cannot be used in isolation. Judgement is an essential feature of allocation and Howard et al have simply judged Aboriginal people in remote areas as unworthy.

He made a big song and dance about allocating a measly 1 millon dollars 'for petrol sniffing' but was careful not to talk about the broader context of 'need' and 'judgment of resources required against need'.

Take into consideration how much money has been allocated (but then quietlyquarantined) by Howard (especially on Aboriginal health) and you begin to understand how dire the situation is.

A short statement on money:

It’s clear to me that there is no obvious and simple proportional relationship between measures of needs and the funds required to achieve outcomes. Dan Fitzpatrick [and others] assumes there IS in his never ending histrionics about 'blacks getting his money'.

In another post DF cites 33 billion as the overall allocation to 'Aboriginal affairs' but as usual, cites not primary research on this figure. He obviously just picked in out of his rear end.

Read the Commonwealth Grants Commission, Report on Indigenous Funding 2001, Canberra, 2001, for a much more informed position here:
http://www.cgc.gov.au/IFI_Pages/ifi_final_report_complete.htm

Those wanting to raise the ire of good white Australian tax payers should also be mindful that while measures of relative need can be useful as a guide to assisting judgements on how resources might be better distributed, a formula based approach cannot be used in isolation. Judgement is an essential feature of allocation and Howard et al have simply judged Aboriginal people in remote areas as unworthy.

He made a big song and dance about allocating measly 1 millon dollars 'for petrol sniffing' but was careful not to talk about the broader context of 'need' and 'judgment of resources required against need'.

Take into consideration how much money has been allocated (but then quietly quarantined) by Howard (especially on Aboriginal health) and you begin to understand how dire the situation is.

If you ask me the cost of sustaining White Australian privilege has been relatively cheap for too long.

WHY BAN URANIUM
MINING? WHAT IS THE
NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES (PROHIBITION) BILL? In uranium mining, the uranium and its
decay products buried deep in the earth
are brought to the surface, and the rock
containing them is crushed into a fine
sand. After the uranium is chemically
removed, the sand is stored in huge
reservoirs. This left-over radioactive
powder is called "uranium tailings". There
are already more than 50 million tonnes
of it in the Eastern States, but none - yet -
in Western Australia.
Uranium tailings contain over a dozen
radioactive materials which are all
harmful to living beings. The most
important of these are thorium-230,
radium-226, radon-222 (radon gas) and
the radon progeny, including polonium-
210. If this radioactive sand is left on the
surface and allowed to dry out, it can
blow in the wind and be deposited on
vegetation far away, entering the food
chain. Or it can wash into rivers and
lakes and contaminate them.
While the hazard per gram of tailings is
low relative to most other radioactive
wastes, the large volume and lack of
regulations for their containment have
resulted in widespread environmental
contamination.
The most serious health hazard for
people associated with uranium mining is
lung cancer due to inhaling uranium
decay products. What happens to
tailings after the mining companies have
left the site poses an incredible headache
for future generations. The production of
this material simply has to stop.
None of the uranium deposits in Western
Australia have ever been commercially
mined, although there have been several
trial mines. We want these trial sites
cleaned up, and we want uranium
mining banned.

I hope all the people on this page saw the final part of Sixty Minutes tonight about what has happened in Wilcannia.

If you missed it, go to http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=274740
and read the transcript.

As I and a lot of others have been saying for years, it is up to Aboriginal people themselves to fix their problems. It doesn't just need money, it needs a change of attitude, otherwise it will still be a disgrace for another 100 years.

David

Rainier
You read me wrongly.

I do not believe there is an "obvious and simple proportional relationship between measures of needs and the funds required to achieve outcomes."

I support blacks getting our taxes, provided the money is spent in equitable and efficient ways, to the longterm benefit of those in real need.

The $33 billion figure I suggested as the overall allocation to 'Aboriginal affairs' (Commonwealth budgetted funds over the last ten years) is a crude estimate, but an educated one, provided in response to an enquiry for a crude estimate. I make no judgement about the person who enquired, nor his motives.

You say "Judgement is an essential feature of allocation and Howard et al have simply judged Aboriginal people in remote areas as unworthy." However the fact remains that the overall allocations by Howard's government remain high. However this is not to say that they are sufficient, or being spent wisely, fairly, efficiently or effectively.

But in regard to spending on health, during the first half of Howard's regime his Health Minister was Michael Wooldridge, who was the most liberal and pro-Indigenous person in his Cabinet. Wooldridge ensured that more money than previously was put into Indigenous health, leading to increased budgets for OATSIH and the AMSs. For all his pious sins, Tony Abbott has continued this trend, and has been a relatively good health minister for Indigenous people.

Rainier will point out that the AMA, FHF, Oxfam and NACCHO have campaigned for an extra $460 million to be added to the Health budget to help bring Indigenous health outcomes up to levels comparable with the national average, but Abbott has not complied with their requests, and this is true. But this still does not refute my earlier contentions.

Health spending is higher now than it was, but not as high as the AMA & co think it should be.

As for your accusation that Howard has "quaratined" some of the money allocated for Indigenous health Rainier, I don't know what you are referring to here.

You are right about uranuim mining.
It is not about abuse of children it is all about potential nuclear waste sites and uranium mining exploration in the Northern Territory. If you believe in Uranium Mining, Uranium Exports, Nuclear Power Stations, Nuclear Bombs, Depleted Uranium and Nuclear Waste Dumping then you do not care a damm about people, least of all children.

I have seen/witnessed at first hand, one project after another for the benefit of indigenous communities, every time it was the tax payers money that was eventually, thrown to the four winds.
Citrus orchards well established and become financially viable with good export markets,become self sufficient in time, a very good viable business.
Within a few years of handing over the management of the citrus farm in the Gold Fields to indigenous management, it was left to rot.
Orders were not filled, contracts so hard won, were ignored, fruit rotted on the trees, and machinery and kind were destroyed and left to rust in the fields, by the very same people who were constantly clamouring for assistance and help/employment.
A project in excess of 3 million dollars of taxpayers funds litterley thrown away.
Another such event were a tribe in our northern areas who claimed their traditional hunting was fishing, the Govt bought them THREE trawlers and supplied a canning facility to can the catch, again, white over seers were employed to teach and show them the ropes to become self sufficient, in this case, before the project was even half way, the indigenous people simple disappeared over time, less and less would turn up every day, until eventually none turned up for work and the whites had nothing to do, simply ended up walking away, the boats were washed up on the beach and ended up being vandalised for scrap, the building allowed to fall into disrepair and eventually went the same as the boats, and again, the tribe lives and carries on as before.

So clearly, the issue here IS NOT MONEY, IMHO the issue is the lack of will to integrate, the lack of self survival, our indigenous people simply do not want to change anything, they are quiet happy living as they are, have no intention of ever changing into what we wish them to be, and the sooner we accept that, and allow them to live the life they wish to live, the sooner things will improve.

Itchyvet, things are never going to improve unless you take away all the free money. Just provide people with the necessities for life and anything else they want they have to earn. Attitudes are not going to change unless very considerable pressures are brought to bear. You can add the road house at Yalata on the road to the West to your list of examples.

David

itchyvet, the issue wont be dropped after the election as such, or at least not in the records of the Federal Government!

They will just pass the responsibility back to the States, who were the ones that failed in their duty of care the first time, and they will leave it to them to deal with - AGAIN. Without supervision, question, accountability or challenge - AGAIN. All that will happen is that it will cost us more to fund the bureaucracy as it blows out – AGAIN.

What is happening now will probably manage to help a handful of people. The Government will no doubt present it as though it was a lot…taking into regard the circumstances, they will say of course!.

It doesn’t matter who wins or loses the next election, the outcome will be the same. Our Government will be permitted to avoid taking any responsibility for their actions or inaction. It is the set up and way the system functions. It is designed to protect the reputation/position of the Government – at any cost. They are supporting and protecting their lifestyle FIRST!

What I can’t understand is why more parents are not speaking up and lodging formal complaints about a system that is failing so many people so completely?

Or maybe they are and their cries for help are being intercepted and are being thrown against bureaucratic brick walls.

Education - Keeping them honest
http://jolandachallita.typepad.com/education/
Our children deserve better

I just caught up with this - what will happen after the election. If Labor gets in, as widely expected, then nothing will happen...things will go back to the way they were. It should make a lot of people happy - but not those who matter the most. So, in the end, things are going to be even worse than they were before because expectations maong those who matter most are going to be dashed...of course none of that will matter to the true believers.

Itchyvet,
It is most disheartening when one hears of projects like the citrus orchard, the fishing enterprizw and the roadhouse all failing for lack of effort. I have heard of cattle properties failing also once left in the hands of aboriginies to run. Can you inform me of other projects set up to provide businesses and employment that have failed or, more importantly, any that have succeeded.

I am also interested to hear of any aboriginal communities that function OK or well.

Although the well being of the kids is the prime object of the Federal move into the NT, I think, in the long term, changes will have to take place and we should look to what the well functioning communities are doing and try to emulate them.

I hope to be able to give the government a list of places they should look to. I have not many as yet, but hope to build such a list.

To true
The Colonial establishment have run rough shod over Australian Aboriginals. Conservatives or Liberals as they like to be called have decimated a race of people that still have pride. They those who hold the capital do not know how to live alongside anybody who they feel is alien to themselves. The same attitude has happened in the Americas and Africa. Today they are planning to select Sites for Uranium Mining and Nuclear Waste with so much wealth they do not have to offer baubles and beads anymore they can bribe the Aboriginal with wealth. The Aboriginals know of the dangers of uranium and they express most strongly No you are not mining on our land.

Banjo

Fred Chaney, director of Reconciliation Australia, deputy president of the National Native Title Tribunal and former Liberal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 1978-1980, wrote a paper on the issue of what works. (for Crikey.com 30 May 2006)

He said: "...episodic fly-in-fly-out bureaucratic interventions don't work. Much of the existing education system doesn't work. Welfare is corrosive, a discovery publicised by Ian Viner as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs as long ago as 1977. Expecting ill-educated and financially under resourced communities to provide all their own essential services hasn't worked. Nor has governments and their bureaucracies telling Aboriginals what to do."

By contrast, he noted examples of success where people have a say in their own affairs. He cited the Pilbara and Ord developments where there's Aboriginal involvement in business development, education and employment. He cited the Argyle Diamond Mine which has achieved 25% Aboriginal employment. Employment makes a huge difference: locals are buying houses and capital goods when they get a job.

"Recognition of Aboriginal rights to land underlies these positive changes," he concluded.

He cited schools such as Kalkaringi, Thursday Island, Karatha, Cherbourg, Clontarf, and Kununurra where leadership, additional commitment by staff and students, and additional resources are giveing Aboriginal kids a real chance at equal life opportunities.

His other theme was that "Local control of resources helps. Centrally administered programs result in energy being wasted in serving the program rather than the program serving the community."

In the area of Indigenous health, there's a great publication called "Success Stories in Indigenous Health" which showcases a range of health projects which are making a real difference.

Again, the key success factor are community control of health resources, bottom up rather than top down solutions, the involvement of community Elders, and so on. (http://www.antar.org.au/images/stories/PDFs/SuccessStories/success_stories_final.pdf)

It makes you wonder why the government is repeating approaches we know have already failed and failing to develop strategies now known to be producing success.

Alan Carpenter
Hit the nail right on the head.
Of course it is an election stunt.

The British gave the natives the bible and stole their lands,
Unfortunately the British decimated the Australian natives it would take more than a generation to educate and restore a sense of self respect.
The damage to this race has been devestating and for John Howard to try and be the saviour on the eve of an election is blatantly pathetic after starving the Aboriginals of the funds that were helping them.

Bronco Lane, and when do you think that it would be a good time to be a saviour of the Aboriginal people given that we cant turn the clock back?

I would like to know where people get the idea that the Aboriginals have been starved of funds. My impression is that the funds given to ATSIC over the years would have fixed all the problems, but most of the time the funds were squandered.

David

David

You say: "I would like to know where people get the idea that the Aboriginals have been starved of funds. My impression is that the funds given to ATSIC over the years would have fixed all the problems, but most of the time the funds were squandered."

I ask: Where did you get the impression "that the funds given to ATSIC over the years would have fixed all the problems, but most of the time the funds were squandered"?

As a matter of logic and personal integrity (fairness, truth and justice for instance):

1. The impression that funds were adequate may OR may not be valid.

2. The impression that most of the funds were squandered may OR may not be valid.

Would it not be sensible to test the validity of your impressions? You wouldn't want to be duped would you?

So how would you sart to assess the truth?

Minority child interference alchohol, glue. petrol,abuse was no different eleven years ago.
To bring about change has to come from within.
We invade other countries to try and restore our order on them, while privatising their oil. Yet we have ignored our very own people, who have participated in two world wars. For the last eleven years priorities have been lacking. Our country is reported to be in the black due to mineral exports. Yet the families of our people are getting further and further into debt with all housing affordability beyond a working persons reach. If ordinary working people are struggling how do we expect those that have been trodden upon for at least four generations to cope. We need Keynsian policies building more railways linking towns and communities so that all can prosper not sell off all utilities that only benefit the wealthy. Why give tax concessions to negative gearers making wealthier people wealthier. ? Subsidise homeowners mortgages not just the first time home buyers. subsidise home owners with a 25% subsidy on the interest that they pay. Build more Government housing so that renters do not have to bid at auctions to rent a house. Make it illegal when a child plays truant from school so that families are forced to make sure that their children do not miss their education.

Yes, Bronco, we do need a return to Keynesian policies which helped to overcome the Great Depression, and after WW2 with the Marshall Plan wisely got those people back on their feet who had unwisely supported the German and Japanese leaders of WW2.

Bur because Big Biz from which we are now again unblessed with, was required to toe the economic line with government regulation, it was back again to deregulation and the formerly spurned free-market, it really beginning when Nixon had Allende of Chile kicked out, to make way again for the corporate racketeers, our governments now run on the Corporate Cultural doctrine, just a kinder name for the old Industrial Mafia.

The Corporate Culture has thus lowered the status of the do-gooders, especially the Greenies and Democrats, who have persisted with the international arguments that though bin Laden would still not be welcome on our doorsteps, his belief that US and UK foreign policy was still based on colonialistic elitism and economic greed always held good with us.

Such has been proven spot on with the admittance from John Howard that oil was on the Iraqi occupational agenda.

However, I still bet most of our OLO's can't still help using the silly terms for the Demo's and Greenies, Do-gooders and Left-wing Loonies.

Personally, I hope they still keep it up, keeps revving up the old fighting blood in this ancient one

Hi Bush Bred
Since I have viewed this forum it has been invested with those that are not conscous (wheres spell check). It is a breath of fresh air to read your awareness.
It amuses us that whenever you have discussion on politics most people may actually quote word for word that which they have just read in the recent West Australian or the Sunday Times.
This is the reason why that devious little toad still holds office. The only decent legislation that has been passed in the last eleven years is gun control and that is all the rest has been infamously damaging to every Australian in the long term. Poverty has prospered through debt, people do have to suffer a lot more until they finally realise who has created the damage.

Dan Fitzpatrick,
Do you know of any aboriginal communities that are working well?

I would like to hear of those that do function well.

Banjo

Some small communities composed mainly of one extended family or clan group, and which have leadership capable of enforcing standards (such as school attendance, no drugs, no alcohol) tend to be much more orderly and safe.

One such is Wallace Rockhole, 115 km west of Alice along the Larapinta Drive.

Areyonga, another 125 km west along the same road, is another.

Utopia Station's clutch of small communities, and Ampilatwatja, 320 km north east of Alice along the Sandover Highway (it's an unsealed dirt road with some gravel) and its outstations are other examples.

These are somewhat isolated from grog outlets and drug dealers, and happily have honest reliable hardworking outsiders working for them in their Council offices, health clinics and stores. Some vestiges of traditional authority structures still function in these places. They have effectively kept petrol sniffing at bay by taking direct action which would horrify the human rights fundamentalists.

They are not perfect, but they are relatively healthy environments.

Titjikala, on Maryvale Station about 100 km south of Alice along the old South Stuart Highway, also has some excellent staff and solid local leadership.

However all these places are underfunded for their management, administration and service delivery, particularly in relation to education, policing and community development processes, and their populations fall far short in terms of the education levels needed to survive in a self-managing way in the contemporary world.

Health and poverty levels remain very bad, even inplaces such as these.

Thanks Dan,
I am gratefull for those place names and would like to receive more to add to the list. No one expects any place to be perfect except Utopia! I'd love to tell people my home town was Utopia. The reaction would be; "What the bloody hell are you doing here then"

Seriously, I want to know of any aboriginal community, large or small, that functions well. i.e. Good school attendance, generally orderly and safe where the local copper,if any, has not a lot to do. No one expects perfection anywhere.

I think it is important that the public is informed that such places do exist and there are many good aboriginal parents, despite what the media portray and that the government is pressured to look to these places as a guide. Unfortunatly the academics and expert advisors often get it wrong. That accounts for the present situation.

So I would like to hear of more. I am no expert with quals, nor have much political influence but I will bring these places to public and government attention. If we all did similar, or put forward positive ideas, then the situation can only improve.

Please note an article which was brought to my attention
"While there are examples in the report of specific cases of abuse, the report is not laced with examples of such abuse. It puts its fact finding in a sensible context: “Sexual abuse of children is not restricted to those of Aboriginal descent, nor committed only by those of Aboriginal descent, nor to just the Northern Territory. The phenomenon knows no racial, age or gender borders. It is a national and international problem.”

If there had not been a history of this government misrepresenting intelligence reports, the prime minister’s slant may have been dismissed as a slip. But there was the weapons of mass destruction report relied on by Howard to send Australia to invade Iraq, and the children overboard scam.

I am not disputing the existence of social problems in Aboriginal communities. I am concerned the prime minister is being selective about using material to convey a state of emergency in those communities."
The Australian people agree that Government should have acted at least a decade ago not just before an election