Suseonline, Depends where they go looking for work, a lot of the mines have programs set up for untrained Indigenous people, there are a lot of health groups and aid organisations offering funding to the Indigenous so they can work within their own community's, a lot of stations find Aboriginals to be very good stockmen, not only that I think you are been a little harsh on the population over all. There are laws that protect people from racial discrimination, I am not however that naïve that I think it doesn't happen. It also happens to a lot of other ethnic, Asian and even Caucasian groups.
I can only say that when I see an Aboriginal in a shopping mall I see them as just another person, I can see your point, but again I think you are selling a lot of people short. (I hope!)
I don't see how coming from a culture that cares and shares with each other is a disadvantage. I think we have something to learn from that.
As to the mortality rates and statistical age at death, I wonder if that is because some of them refused to be force fed and kept alive in Nursing homes until they forget who they are and where they come from? Getting some of the more remote and reserved groups to accept health care seems to be a problem, if they wish to live as they are who are we to say Nay? If however there are groups or individuals that need and what help then by all means we should help, any way we can! Not because they are Indigenous but because they are human.
I think what I am trying to say is that if ANYONE should need help they should be able to get it, why should it make a difference who they are?

Joe, (Loudmouth)
Thank you for your inputs, I have found them very informative.
Your point about minority's is a good one, minority's bringing down the group. Don't we see that just about everywhere these days! I suppose we have to find a balance of allowing them to make choices for themselves and making sure that innocents or people wanting to remove themselves from those choices aren't held back. I think we could focus policy's on a lot of "drop kicks" and their future generations, of all backgrounds. I can see however that 36% of Indigenous Australians are under the age of 15. So it does make sense to focus on that middle aged generation now to try and get a change for the better made now. Your point that there are a higher rate of female Indigenous Australians attending University then Non Indigenous males in my opinion show that the funding been offered for Indigenous Australians is a little unfair. Maybe it could be changed to remote and rural Australians? Or all Australians that are showing "Drop Kick" status on their parents Centrelink records.

Thank you Bec,

I don't think that Government policy makes all that much difference to things like university participation, it's much more fluid, more a matter of social change over a generation or more, and the resultant expansion of choice, and Indigenous women have been, up to now, always more likely to choose university study, and at more rigorous levels, than men, that's simply how it's been.

On the other hand, a relatively higher proportion of Indigenous men go on to post-graduate study. Make what you like of that.

In a sense, there seem to be three Indigenous populations emerging - a persistent class of unemployed/unemployable, welfare-oriented people, mainly in rural and remote areas; a growing middle-class of working, educated people; and an elite upper-middle class, almost invariably employed on public funds, in bureaucracies, universities, government departments and organisations.

Whether or not there is some sort of parasitic relationship between the welfare-oriented population and the bureaucratic population, covering for each other under the rubrics of 'consultation' and 'self-determination', I couldn't possibly comment.

Joe
www.firstsources.info

Susie has not answered Bec's question regarding exactly what advantages white Australians have over Aboriginals. Susie has mostly given examples of different outcomes, but not differences of opportunity or advantage.
Not everyone with the same opportunity attains the same outcome. Many children from the same family given essentially the same oppotunities don't attain the same degree of success.
Susie gives the very vague example of applying for a job, yet I know of no examples of a white officially being given preference over an Aborigine. Yet there are clear examples of the opposite as mentioned above. Andrew Forrest has a scheme to give racial prefernce to Aborigines (yes you can be as racist as you like as long as the person being discriminated against is white).
Susie talks about them being labelled as thugs and thieves but maybe that is from experience. The only time my wife was ever robbed was by a group of Aboringines in a shopping mall. So maybe there is good reason they are labelled such. The crime stats also point out the much higher rate of aboringinal crime. Anyway this is not an example of disadvantage of opportunity.
Susuie also points out diabetes as a European introduced disease. As far as I know that is totally false.
Susie has failed to give examples of advantage given to whites but not aborigines

Loudmouth,
I feel you have fallen for the political spin. The ones you talk about who "have come to the cities" are not indigenous caste aboriginals. They are Octoroons, Quadroons and quintroons who feed on the indigenous hand outs. In many case thay are more white then you and I.
Half the population of indigenous here where i live come here because we stopped the grog in their communities.
Those that are studying are the castes that have the benefit of white genes in their breeding. They take the best of both worlds.
Mate you need to come with me to communities where sticking a star picket with barb wire attached through the stomach of your neighbors pregnant 13 year old daughter is not only considered appropriate for "payback" but is seen as cultural behavior by the authorities.
Come and see the three Flying Doctor planes lined up on the airstrip waiting for the causalities that flow from the weekly tolerated street war outside the council chambers between 7 mutually hatting clans.
Mate you have been conned.

Chris,

And don't you think that many people would want to get the hell away from those communities, where someone can be stabbed in the guts or beaten to death with a star picket ? Isn't it their right to get away and into the cities ?

And no, in my working experience, Aboriginal people in the cities don't necessarily get any more than other people, they don't all put their hand out.

Joe
www.firstsources.info