To be an Aboriginal Australian in Northern Australia is no picnic. Despite ostensibly holding some rights with regard to the mineral wealth that is being ripped from the ground, the endemic racism, nepotism and corruption, is beyond the capacity of people to just grin and accept.

In the Northern Territory, a Police Officer fires wildly into a crowd, killing an Indigenous Man, he escapes prosecution because his colleagues failed to lay charges within two months. In Queensland, Sgt. Hurley avoids conviction on Manslaughter, because of a lack of intent, the jury never having been instructed that in injuring a prisoner and failing to seek aid for the same, the verdict of manslaughter (which does not require intent to begin with) was open to them. Then the elephant in the room, that Sgt. Hurley gave 3-4 different versions of events under oath, yet is not charged with perjury?

Still the majority of Australian's wonder why Indigenous People have no respect for the "Rule of Law", rather simple really, they are not equal before the law, Police are entitled, by virtue of long practice, to flout the law at will. Respect at any time is a two-way Street, having been lost it has to be re-earned.

The endemic corruption & nepotism on communities sees the vast bulk of money's spent there being siphoned into the pockets of the fortunate few (many of whom are in positions of trust despite multiple charges of dishonesty & fraud)... Why? They are quite easy to deal with and will sell out their communities with little to no compunction whatever.

The "Rule of Law" is a presumptive right under our Constitution, if push comes to shove, can the Commonwealth come to the aid of a State/Territory acting contrary to the same?

It is not an Academic question, there are some rather interesting ores in the Northern half of this Country, which many Countries in our region would dearly love to access. These same Countries would not be averse to assisting anyone who could provide them beneficial access to strategic assets.

Is that blunt enough?

On face value, if true it is a dreadful story, the known to be true story about what I see as murder of the man in the back of that prison van too.
Are we to look truly at this dreadful situation?
Why are these people,even in near city shanty towns still living in these conditions.
Why are so many never to work never to send kids to school often enough for them to learn even to read.
I think it can not all be placed on white Australians.
How deep is our understanding of the issue.
Have you stood along side a man and defended him for his fourth charge of drink driving in his bosses car, seen him rant and rave, while quite sober at his work mates who tried to hide him for years?
How about twenty such cases ? from a pool of 145?
White man can be blamed in part we pay educators extra for handling
" problem children" why not rewards for teaching?
We hide behind invasion talk and the sins of long dead men but walk around both sides wrongs today.
I insist on a better life safer life for these folk and PC is stopping it happening.
Every human deserves better but every single one should be accountable for our every action.

BELLY,
Have you been hit by lightning ? I couldn't agree more with your post !

Aaron... contrast your statement

Still the majority of Australian's wonder why Indigenous People have no respect for the "Rule of Law", rather simple really, they are not equal before the law,

with this: (BLack racially abuses white)

http://www.acrawsa.org.au/files/49OConnellPinnedLikeaButterflyFINAL.pdf Page 7

For their social dominance, ill-defined
boundaries and internal diversity as a
group, Brown FM finds that whites should
not be able to invoke the racial hatred
provisions of the Racial Discrimination
Act.

Do you SEE it ? "whites"....no protection.

I am absolutely livid about that ...and am quietly pursuing the issue behind the scenes.

and you wonder why WHITE people have no respect for the rule of law ?

Aaron 1975:

It is difficult to remove the emotive from individual cases of abuse by Police. But I believe the fault is cultural bias. Role reversal may be a solution to the Aboriginal “problem”.

E.G: Uniformed and armed Aboriginal police could be recruited to control drunken street mobs in our cities, unleashing the occasional round into the crowd in order to subdue riot. Of course the contingent would be given special privileges through our court system to ensure they return to the job ASAP.

P.S. Of course we could call on the assistance of the Army at any time to assist them with peace keeping. (A little known fact that occurs in NT at present).

Don't worry Aaron you won't be the only lot selling off Australia's mineral wealth. The Australian Government has beaten you to it.

I tend to agree with Belly. In life there are two sides generally to a situation. For the Indigenous people I reckon there is not much more that white man can do except protect aboriginal people from harm through law enforcement in the same way that all Australians are protected and to provide health care etc. The rest has to be up to the aboriginal people - it has to be a two way street.

That said, there needs to be more respectful behaviours toward aboriginal people. Human beings generally do not give respect until they are shown it, act responsibly until they are given responsibility. Handouts beget dependency not self-sufficiency in many cases unless it is a hand-up.

The gentleman who died in the back of the van was horrific and inhumane and displayed a severe lack of human regard.

The rule of law should always apply and people (all Australians)should take responsibility for their actions.