Marion Scrymgour, who is a Minister in the Northern Territory government, yesterday took on Mal Brough and his invasion of NT aboriginal communities. It was time that someone of Marion's authority spoke up so strongly:

"Aboriginal Territorians are being herded back to primitivism of assimilation and the days of native welfare. It has been a deliberate, savage attack on the sanctity of Aboriginal family life." (Brough wants NT Minister to resign over intervention criticism, ABC News 24 October 2007)

The government is still spinning its intervention as purely about child welfare. Don't accept these Liberals. All Australians should make it their business to find out the truth about the coalition's indigenous policies. Start by reading this report!

Do you deny that these atrocities are being committed against these children?

What the hell has this Marion woman and her government done about it anyway? What makes her such an expert?

When children are needing to have their genitals surgically reconstructed something is very wrong.

What is the alternative?

I AM a member of the ALP and if I lived in the NT?
I would not be a member for one second, the best outcome for that territory would be a landslide defeat of this idiot government.
I suspect the lady is ,like some in my party part of the problem, not the solution.
Her actions are as bad as the worst fear tactics of this federal government.
May I remind posters it was under this shambolic NT government that many of the worst crimes against Aboriginal women and children have taken place.
Further she gives no plan or answers to such dreadful crimes.

I saw Ms Scrymgour on ABCTV news last night, and I was impressed with her obvious dignity, strength and resolve on behalf of NT Aborigines.

Belly: "May I remind posters it was under this shambolic NT government that many of the worst crimes against Aboriginal women and children have taken place."

What utter rubbish, Belly. If you had any idea at all about the history of Aboriginal dispossession in this country, including the NT, you would know that there have been numerous well-documented massacres and other crimes against Aborigines in the Top End since Europeans invaded it. The appalling situation that is described in the "Little Children Are Sacred" report can be attributed squarely to the neglect by successive conservative governments, both federally and in the NT.

Given your frequently right-wing opinions that you express in this forum, I consider Ms Scrymgour to be truer to traditional Labor values than you appear to be. In fact, it was the increasing dominance by the ALP Right that caused me to cease voting for them over a decade ago.

Little wonder that the electorate is faced with a "Tweedledum and Tweedledumber" choice in the forthcoming election.

"When children are needing to have their genitals surgically reconstructed something is very wrong."

for sure, just as well we got the army in to do those operations

I repeat my question: what is the alternative?

I still haven't heard one constructive suggestion for dealing with the problem.

Dignity does not excuse inaction. I don't accept the "poor little NT government is so helpless" argument, or the right of any culture to rape their kids. That doesn't mean I don't care about past massacres or other problems facing the Aboriginal people today.

Maybe we should just sit back and do nothing for another twenty years. Then we can all blame our federal conservative governments and be happy. So what if the babies have herpes?