Rehctub, Aboriginal people aren't the only groups who have these problems.
Should we extend your 'no welfare' rules to everyone who are unemployed no-hopers?
If not, why not?

Can you imagine the crime rates we would have to endure from all these people with no way of supporting themselves? How would we fund all the jails?
How would others fund their new high-security lifestyles? Look at Africa.

You suggest that retirees should continue to get welfare money. What if they are the elderly who have never worked? Where do you want to draw the line?
What will we do with the disabled and the sick.......involuntary euthanasia?

You haven't really thought this through have you?

Joe (Loudmouth), "Aboriginal people in 'such 'communities' really have crapped in their own nest, over and over again, and expected white outsiders to come in and clean it all up. Which they do, out of the goodness of their hearts, at least until they get totally sick of it, leave, and never dream of coming back"

Not so long ago and during the previous Labor governments (to put a rough time on it), a number of grey nomads responded to the usual complaints of lack of resources and offered their voluntary services to help out, immediately and for as long as necessary. It made a lot of sense. Many nomads are fit, able and skilled. They could easily organise themselves, were self-sufficient and highly mobile. They would do whatever was required of them. Even in days the idea found plenty of volunteers with all sorts of practical skills, managers too.

The result? Well, who could ever have imagined how quickly the previously complaining spokespeople, activists and NGOs could mobilise and coordinate a stern, "NO way!" in reply. No thanks for offering. Just "NO" and up went the barriers to shore up the status quo.

In a dysfunctional system many of those who are part of it see a (personal) vested interest in maintaining it. Figure that one out.

Suze, at no point did I say no welfare, I said NO CASH.

All welfare should be quarantined in my opinion and distributed only via a restricted debit card that will not allow the purchase of restricted good, or cash out.

Sure, there are the VERY SMALL minority who will buy goods and trade them in a half value for grog, drugs, even cash, but no amount of intervention can legislate against stupidity. Besides, along with the card should come strict laws with mandatory criminal offences (jail time with zero tolerance) for both parties should this occur.

We simply must stop this waste, either that, or we decide what cuts are going to be made to fill the ongoing void this, and other welfare waste for that matter creates.

As a long term tax payer, surely i'm not asking too much to want my taxes to be used efficiently and not continually pissed up against the wall like they are in this ongoing waste fest.

OTB, you are spot on because if a young Aussie can't find work in their regional town, Miles/Chincilla being two such towns, they are forced to move to better their chances of finding work, or be cut off welfare.

Unfortunately racism does go both ways.

This has been an ongoing problem for decades and I fear, no thanks to K Rudds apology, that we now have our hands tied behind our backs and this is I suspect the main reason why Howward would not apologise, especially for something he did not do, which is precisely the way I feel.

The apology has simply put us on the back foot, but let's face it, Rudd made a right mess of everything else he touched, so why not this as well.

I don't blame police for not getting involved in camp punch-ups. Let's not forget, the traditional aboriginal ways (you know, the ones we are told we should be protecting) were always violent. That's not a criticism from me; it's fact. It's they way were, and it is they will stay as long as we help them try to replicate the old ways at great expense to us, and to them.

you are right Loudmouth and you obviously have more first hand experience and knowledge than most. For town folk however it creates huge issues when people come from the communities creating havoc. I think the bush people should be put in the electorates where the pollies make the decisions. That might awaken them from their willful ignorance.

Hi ttbn,

Aboriginal society is/was by no means unique: pretty much ALL traditional societies, in ancient Spain, Scotland, China, Maori, Mongol, Aztec, you name it, are/were brutal and very violent. It was the rule in most of those places for a man to die in battle, and shameful if he didn't. Women were traded and brutalised. Wars between groups were wars of total extermination. TOTAL extermination.

The Aboriginal elites and their white minders may be oblivious to how people actually live out there in the 'communities' and may just prattle about 'culture'. Yes, indeed: violence was an integral part of ALL traditional 'cultures'. If we should give credit where it is due, which is fair enough, then we must also, with open eyes, call out atrocities where we see them. Nobody's perfect, no society is perfect, so that shouldn't come as a surprise.

Cheers,

Joe