miacat, you say that "Rudd will help to build on 'grassroot' community". This can't be the Kevin Rudd that I used to work with and is now my MP, a control freak who likes to keep everything to himself. In Queensland, Kevin would hardly share with the Ministers he was supposed to serve, let alone have dialogue with the community. Dream on.

Stephen, I hope that whoever governs, the recent initiatives lead to genuine progress on aboriginal/indigenous well-being and other issues.

Mr Rudd will fail the indigenous people just like Mr Howard, Mr Hawke (sorry Paul you were not their long enough), Mr Fraser and Mr Whitlam. These men are not God and politicians are incapable of changing mindsets and behaviours that are self destructing. The only people who can solve the horrible tragic state of our indigenous people are themselves. To think a change of Government or to provide false hope is cruel.

When the rice field floods we blame the emperor because it rains. How boring!

It is worse still when the emperor blames the rain for our demise.

The dream is that we take responsiblity for the rice, prepare ourselves for the flood and be allowed to do it properly using a village full of knowledge based on common sense.

Wake Up Apathy Breeds contempt.

I agree that Indigenous people need to do things themselves. Ownership of ones own destiny is just the point and, having policies that can help emancipate capacity is all that is required to start a pathway to Will to Win.

http://www.miacat.com
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If I spend my welfare on alcohol and beat the excrement out of my misses i am an r'shole, but if i call myself an aborigine then there is a built-in excuse. Until we have the same standards for every citizen there is no hope. Most aborigines i have met over the years have been scammers and richard edheads who exploit the guilt and ignorance of the majority. It can't go on like that forever.

Thanks, Stephen. But just on your mention of 'terra nullius', I'm not so sure that it was ever law:

Extract from:
ABORIGINES’ FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION (INC.)

78th ANNUAL REPORT : 1936

-- 35-37 --

The Rights of the Aborigines Safeguarded in the Pastoral Leases

[35] ... AS ENQUIRIES are being made about the retention of the rights of the aborigines to hunt on pastoral leases, the Association has looked carefully into this matter, and we find that in all the South Australian pastoral leases the following clause has been inserted: “ And reserving to aboriginal inhabitants of the said State and their descendants during the continuance of this lease full and free right of egress and regress into upon and over the said lands and every part thereof and in and to the springs and surface waters therein and to make and erect and to take and use for food, birds and animals ferae naturae in such manner as they would have been entitled to if this lease had not been made. ” Rights Now Safeguarded.
WHEN THE NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN ACT was repealed in 1931, the separate territories of North Australia and Central Australia were abolished, and the Northern Territory as formerly was reverted to. A new Crown Lands Ordinance No. 2 of 1931, which repealed the Ordinances of North Australia and Central Australia, was passed, and this Ordinance is the existing law under which pastoral leases may be granted throughout the Northern Territory and the reservation in favour of the aboriginals [ 37 ] has been carried forward and applies to all such pastoral leases. It will be seen, therefore, that Mr. Bleakley’s remarks are not correct insofar as they refer to leases recently issued. However, the matter will ultimately correct itself, as, when the existing South Australian leases and those granted under the Crown Lands Ordinance 1912-1923 expire by effluxion of time or are sooner determined, any new leases granted over the lands formerly included in the old leases will be issued in accordance with the existing law and be subject to the reservation.

Joe

Just to add to that last posting, about the rights of Aboriginal people to make use of land subject to Pastoral Leases in South Australia and the Northern Territory, I'm fascinated by that last phrase of the clause that had t obe in every Lease: 'rights to egress, ingress etc. etc. AS IF THIS LEASE HAD NOT BEEN MADE.' What did that mean ? ['Did' because it is no longer law].