CJ,

I glad to see that you're again making a valuable and in depth contribution to the debate. Tell me, do you get exhausted after 50 words? Or are you practising for a cereal box competition, 50 words or less?

By the way, I suggest you invest in a dictionary if you can't tell the difference between a conservative and a liberal. I understand that when your further left than Joe Stalin everybody is to the right of you, and they're all wingnuts. But even to a confirmed memeber of the loony left its a fairly obvious difference.

Keep up the good work, I'll be looking forward to more insightful commentary (sorry I meant spiteful reguritation) from our resident loony-leftist. Don't tire yourself out, though.

Further to what I wrote a couple of days ago, about the 30, 40, 50-year gap:

I'm sure that dieticians can calculate, and probably have calculated, how much each of these factors shortens lives, for Black and for White, and it would not be much of a difference. There is, in that sense, no such thing as Aboriginal health - there is poor health and the factors leading to it are well-known; and there is good health, and the factors leading to it, and to maintaining it, are well-known. We don't need to spend any more money on curing well-known problems, but we need to spend far more on their prevention, and on more active interventionist means to get the message across.

And that also takes policy courage. Hence the value of think tanks, to put a rocket up policy makers. Left and right don't make muchsense any more: in Aboriginal affairs, I would have no hesitation in saying that currently, the worst problems for Aboriginal people have been caused by unintentionally (perhaps) pro-Apartheid policies of the Left. But as a lifelong Leftist, I have to say that I am impressed with much of the work of the CIS, particularly Helen Hughes, who - like her or not - always has something to say that must be listened to, and answered. Thank goodness for people like Professor Hughes, frankly.

Joe

Paul L,
Do you want a discussion or a fight? If the latter No thanks if the former then less of your pseudo parliamentary nonsense and more Objectivity please.

I agree there is a difference between Liberalism and conservatism but perhaps you need to discuss that point with some in the Lib/nats Coalition. They bill the Coalition as “The conservative forces against the Labor forces”. Howard was Conservative not Menzies Liberal in so many ways.
Simplistically Liberals= ‘right’ philosophies not Left.

OK CIS is a Liberal think tank. According to your definition it is an organization closely aligned to/or (pro) business (your definition) therefore what it is NOT is an INDEPENDENT think tank any more than the Labor equivalent.

As for Helen’s piece I did NOT say that only Indigenes could plan for indigenes frankly that reasoning displays the white ‘superiority’ attitude that has been/is the problem.(I’ve explained this previously at length.)

Noel Pearson is an impressive person but some sort of Black oracle?

Your 30 year comment is nonsense and unproductive. Let’s agree that the policies since colonization have been white centric crap and move on.

The take over of the aboriginal communities because of ‘child sex slaves’ was rubbish. Of the 7000+ children tested 4 have resulted in action. Additionally the leakee was a manager from the liberal minister’s own dept.

As for the CIS may not care about votes but the liberals do.

Your last Quote left out the point "…At what cost." (in money and to the people)

Your statement that Liberal policies are shared across the OECD. Talk about bad expression. I'm sure the arrogance this implies was an oversight.

we have different conditions and circumstances the President Of the OECD was recently here and not all that complementary to Liberal policy.

BTW I am not A leftie either as I told you elsewhere I am neither left or right.
I assess isues on their merit not on dogma.

To cross-post from "Put any pension increase into rent assistance?" at http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2129&page=0#45143

Did even one caller phone in (to Australia Talks http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/stories/2008/2360745.htm) to support the program guest Jeremy Sammut from the Center for 'Independent' Studies?

His statistics that 'proved' that old age pensioner had increased in real terms were shown to be utter nonsense by the near tidal wave of callers with harrowing stories of financial hardship. A good start to helping them would be to remove the tax concessional status of bodies like the C.I.S and put the funds saved towards increasing the pension.