Look as one of many Indigenous servicemen serving in the Australian Army, that was sent to Africa as part of a United Nations peace keeping tour in the late seventies and eighties. Nothing can prepare in your training as a soldier for the experience of seeing a community under the grip of a warlord and the despair of the women and children.

While I am not a big fan of John Howard and don't know or care why he sent in the troops, the fact of the matter is that the same kind of scum "warlord behaviour" we saw in those African countries is operating here in our Indigenous communities without the same fear of prosecution.

The Indigenous community and the Labour Gubberment's in the State's have had forty years to address this situation and have achieved nothing, Rudd knows this and that is why he has agreed to this arrangement.

In regard to the Professional "Aboriginal Industry" critising JH in the safety of there safe homes, you wanted and supported ATSIC. ( Aborigine's Talking S#@T in Canberra) Yet women and children in the communities I have visited, hold ATSIC chiefly responsible for giving the warlords power over the community in particular the most vunerable in first place.

Once we get law and order restored then we can talk about rights, but we must also discuss responsibilities, and naming those warlords involved in these crimes would be a start. They are then removed to face the courts, and if found guilty, re-open Baxter Detention center and send them all there to rot.

Rod
Not a bad article, but a little heavy on the motherhood statements endorsing problem-solving methods which have been tried time and again but proven almost completely useless in this particular situation (such as "the need for adequate consultation with Indigenous communities and the NT Government", when it is absolutely clear that spending too much time and resources on endless community consultation has been part of the problem, and that the NT Govt is clearly incapable of putting aside electoral considerations enough to consider the problems objectively, let alone re-allocate an adequate amount of its resources away from the privileged white urban enclaves and into the remote black slums deceptively called "communities").

And what would it profit the weak, dependent and marginalised majorities in the Aboriginal communities if we were to "strengthen families and communities and empower them to confront problems" if the practical outcomes, proven over long periods, were most likely to be that those most able to benefit from the opportunity of power are the exploitative, the already powerful and the blatantly irresponsible elements in these communities? This is what has been happening for far too long. Better to have a real circuit breaker, and build conditions under which the theories of empowerment are more likely to work in favour of those who actually need empowerment and are more likely to use their power for the common good.

And Yindin:
As one who has worked in these situations off and on over a long period (including a very disillusioning stint under the 'leadership' of one warlord who is a Vietnam vet), I couldn't agree more with your sensible approach to the current situation.

Rod ,Yindin and Dan,

I believe there is another agenda, apart from the necessary protection of children from abuse and the communities "Rivers of Grog",for Howard and his government.

The deliberate "whitening of Aboriginal Culture " by less time for ceremony ,will weaken the hard won grip Indigenous Australians have on their small percentage of Australia .

For some Aboriginals eg.Warren Mundine - so What ??

If as an Aboriginal you have lost those ties to Land and all the language, oral history, dances and traditions that went with your ancestors, that is sad for all Australians.

If you haven't, you had better get it recorded quickly and in as much detail as you can .

If somehow the English lesson subjects are to be balanced by corresponding lessons on equivalents in Aboriginal subjects there may be hope for Culture . This is probably the best way to learn anyway.

Right now the Federal Government has said that there is to much time spent on Traditional activities - to the detriment of chances of employment off the Communities . They don't like and feel uncomfortable with Aboriginal Traditional Life and Culture .

I fervently believe this is Cultural Genocide by Stealth .

A leaked document from Brough's office has revealed that he had the 500 page legislation ready over a year ago.

This clearly indicates the political motives behind the intervention more than anything.

The other unsurprising report is that of 700 checks and only two abuse referrals.

How many of these checks have created the trauma of abuse that they set out to stop?

Do they really care. Of course not. This is about getting re-elected.

Kids overboard all over again.

History will judge them for they are.

Don't be silly Rainier. The document (featured in Crikey yesterday, & on the NIT web site) was leaked from FACSIA (not from Brough's office) and does NOT "reveal that he had the 500 page legislation ready over a year ago."

It simply reveals that he was interested in one small part of the recent 'emergency intervention': the child health checks.

Rather than 'clearly indicat[ing] the political motives behind the intervention more than anything', it clearly indicates Brough's abiding concern with child welfare and safety.

In relation to the fact 'that of 700 checks and only two abuse referrals': this is clearly because the checks, as they have eventuated, have not been looking for actual sexual abuse; they have been general health checks that do not include any physical or psychological examination for signs of sexual abuse.

They have not 'created the trauma of abuse that they set out to stop'. Thanks to the AMA and Tony Abbott's intervention, they have been done in a non-intrusive, sensitive and ethical fashion.

The 'emergency intervention' may well be primarily 'about getting re-elected' from Howard's point of view, but there is solid evidence that Brough, though often misguided and hamfisted in his approach, and ideologically driven in some areas, is sincere about the need for better safety and security for vulnerable Aboriginal people.

And in some respects he is succeeding.

Your annoying ALP hack friend