Paul1405,

The Greens elite farm 'Useful Idiots', feeding them what they want, which is any justification no matter how wild and flakey, for their bigotry against anyone who is happy and may be doing OK.

Bill Shorten knows that and is cynically trying to raid the Greens for the far left swinging vote with his 'Class War' BS - that Plibersek and ors realise will result in electoral defeat.

Shorten also wants to relieve the Greens of any young impressionable, first time voters, who plainly lack any understanding of civics and might be impressed by Shorten's 'Progressive' anti- stance on everything 'authority'.

Because the perennially useful Gay band wagon has run out of steam, the Greens are casting about for other wagons to hijack. Gillard's government gave activist Gays all and more (talking about the enlarged de facto arrangements) than they ever expected and wanted. Now many gays are left wondering and rightly too if it was only the already entitled well-off middle class that changes were directed at. They would be right of course.

If the meddling and always disruptive Greens are exposed (and it is happening) for their similar cynical piggy-backing on indigenous and for wishing to drive in ever more wedges between indigenous and the mainstream for the political advantage of the Greens, then the present gathering slide of the Greens towards political oblivion will be hastened.

You should wake up to your handlers. What have they done for you recently, or ever? But they obviously do well for themselves. Money bags Lee Rhiannon is a prime example of the chasm between Greens' rhetoric and reality.

But few have the guts and personal authenticity to be Left. So-called leftist 'Progressives' are superficial and self-absorbed Hipsters, materialistic and 'blessed' with flexible (non-existent?) ethics and short memories.

So the Uluru Conference decided on another consultative body. That should keep everybody busy for a few years. Perhaps they could study the histories of the NAC, NACC, ADC, and ATSIC, to learn pointers on how not to run such a body.

On the other hand, Warren Mundine's suggestion of the recognition of hundreds of 'nations', and perhaps thousands of clans, should be studied: perhaps each one needs its consultative committee, to make input into federal and state government legislation. Wow, that could take up even more valuable time.

And that's maybe time that the Indigenous movement may not have. With the majority of the population now in the cities, moving off in one direction, and remote 'communities' resolutely determined or unable not to move in any positive direction, I have concerns that the fragile solidarity of the entire Indigenous population could fragment in the next ten years unless their is a stronger rationale for it.

Oh, and a Treaty: what, a blank bit of paper called a 'Treaty' (Gosh, ho fantastic: our own, at last), or something with teeth ? So what should constitute those teeth ? What teeth do people need that they don't already have ? How many more teeth do people need ? Just a question, to provoke passionate and hostile criticism.

Joe

This is the sort of story that the 'Progressive' ABC and ors would not give any prominence to. But why not?

"Distinguished Aboriginal scholar made Honorary Fellow

Known for her lifelong work in Aboriginal social issues and women’s rights, Professor Marcia Langton AM of the Bidjara Nation has added another honour to her long list of accolades, being installed as an Honorary Fellow of Emmanuel College at The University of Queensland.

Professor Langton’s Honorary Fellowship, the highest honour the college bestows, was awarded during the College’s Convocation Service, one of the first official events of the new year.

Emmanuel College Principal Adjunct Professor Stewart Gill said Professor Langton personified the heart of university education.

“It is an honour to add Professor Langton to the prestigious list of honorary fellows at our college, which includes former UQ Vice Chancellors Professor John Hay AC and Professor Debbie Terry AO,” he said.

“After the service, Marcia spoke to first year students and guests at Emmanuel’s Convocation dinner about the great privilege of a collegiate education at The University of Queensland. She emphasised it came with a responsibility to give back to the wider community,” he said."
http://www.uq.edu.au/news/article/2016/02/distinguished-aboriginal-scholar-made-honorary-fellow

Why does the ABC, eg Q&A, fly in Greer, the one book wonder of the entrenched group of septuagenarian feminists, Emily's Listers, when the dynamic, razor-sharp intellect and contemporary relevance of Professor Marcia Langton AM is available but is being passed over? Or panels of 'representative' women but no Langton. Why not?

Most would remember Greer in action with Dan Savage and ors, thanks to the ABC.

Introducing Professor Langton, Professor Gill quoted from her 2012 Boyer Lectures.

“The role of a public intellectual is not to agree with the paradigm but to be sceptical, to ask questions, refute mistaken beliefs, discuss important ideas and literature, provide accurate information and cogent interpretations of matters.”

There are indigenous who are not heard often enough and are being passed over. Why? Who benefits from wedge politics affecting indigenous and getting political out of doing so and it very definitely isn't indigenous women and children?

Hi Leoj,

Yes, the Indigenous elites usually keep tight control of who is in, and who isn't. There have been many, many people who work like buggery over decades, are innovative and deeply committed, but are either ignored or outright shunned. That may have been, and may continue to be, a fatal mistake, massively diminishing the talent pool that should be fostered instead. Maybe the day will come.

Cheers,

Joe

Joe, regards the remote communities, in fact there are some quite large ones all across the north, and by large I mean from 300 to 2000 people. They have schools, health clinics, community store, office, recreation hall, basketball courts, etc. A few even have swimming pools. They have access to internet and tv and most have some form of smart phone. And all have a church.
What they don't have is jobs in any number. All they have is what is required to keep the community functioning and these jobs are paid at mainstream rates.
So you have teachers, nurses, health workers, powerhouse workers, office staff, garbage collectors, water supply workers.
The professional workers, like teachers and nurses are always white. As generally are any project officers who help run training programs or work programs like CDEP. The rest are locals.
Not a lot of positions and no attempt by locals to fill the professional roles as a rule. Anyone smart enough to get out and get qualified rarely returns to their home community.
The great tragedy is that quite a decent living could be made by topping up their Centrelink by returning to the ventures instituted by the missionaries in all these places and at which all the old people were trained. Chickens, pigs, goats, bakery, creamery, veggies and fruit growing. Etc. multiple millions has been spent trying to get the people interested in returning to these activities, with generally no success.
All that land and water lying useless.

Hi Big Nana,

Thanks for that timely analysis.

Maybe I've got a weird notion of what self-determination is supposed to be, but your comments that:

" .... you have teachers, nurses, health workers, powerhouse workers, office staff, garbage collectors, water supply workers.

"The professional workers, like teachers and nurses are always white.....

"Not a lot of positions and no attempt by locals to fill the professional roles as a rule. Anyone smart enough to get out and get qualified rarely returns to their home community."

suggests that community people have a drastically different perception. Is it possible that, in traditional times, for all the talk about culture, the dominant issue was finding enough food, every day, and once that was done, then other issues can be dealt with - and that a welfare culture fitted very easily into that framework, and stayed there ?

That people really, honestly, don't see S-D as meaning anything more than, "Give us what we want, and we'll let you know if we want more" ?That effort on the part of the people is simply not on that agenda ? So there isn't any perceived need for education of the kids ? Yes, schools are great if they provide breakfasts, and maybe have a pool, but otherwise they just take the kids off parents' hands all day, thankfully.

God, I'm becoming a miserable, grumpy, cynical old man :)

Regards,

Joe