Comments on: NT most politically correct ministry in Oz

By: Jupurrurla

Jupurrurla — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Crikey, why do you have to give this the offensive title of “NT most politically correct ministry in Oz”?
Makes it sound like a sop when in fact it gives non-urban electorates the ministry representation they’ve unfairly missed out on in the past.
Bernard’s right that this marks a new era in NT politics - in this context it’s interesting to note that the two uncontested seats were bush seats (bush seems like the new media code for Indigenous-dominated and rural for non-Indigenous-dominated) and held by Indigenous women, both of whom continue to be strongly linked to their constituency.
Perhaps this is indeed a turning point where indigenous people start the inevitable step of dominating NT politics. Let’s hope so.

By: Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

I’ve no idea what I was thinking when I wrote the word “influence” instead of “seats”. Can’t even call Dr Freud on that one. They’re all from bush electorates is what I meant.

By: Graeme Lewis

Graeme Lewis — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Judging this new cabinet as "politically correct" is fine, but one has to question whether it will be an improvement on the Government that has been so seriously wounded at this election. That Government was wounded so badly because it delivered extremely poor outcomes, especially under its present leader. It is problematical whether this new "politically correct " cabinet can deliver any better quality of Government simply by virtue of its ministers being:
1. Indigenous
2. From "bush" seats.
3. Of one sex or the other.
Such commentary, Mr Keane is really quite puerile. This Government will be judged by its future action, or lack thereof,
and being politically correct will absolutely not be a factor when next the people vote.
In actual fact, this cabinet has been selected not on the basis of skills or competence, but simply on the basis of numbers - and in fact who is available. a Cabinet of nine out of just 13 members. Almost in fact a case of "every player wins a prize." The four who missed out include three new chums elected last Saturday, and the Speaker who simply wants a quiet life on a ministerial salary.
Nothing to do with "political correctness," competence or any other of your criteria.

By: Graeme Lewis

Graeme Lewis — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Great response Mr Keane. How am I to know you disclaim the heading to your article. I didn’t misinterpret any of your 200 words nor the Headline I simply drew on your words to expand the discussion. And at least I omitted the vulgarity to which you stooped in your attempt to dismiss my perfectly valid observations. If this is a valid tactic for you to employ, may I have the same liberty?

By: Jenny Walker

Jenny Walker — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Refreshing for a southern Territorian to see the “Berrimah line” challenged in such a decisive way at the last election. Given that there is a far higher proportion of Aboriginal people in the Territory than anywhere else in our land of Oz, it makes sense that the proportion of political representation wpuld also be higher than anywhere else in Oz. When inevitable political compromises are made in the NT, Aboriginal people and country often bear the brunt. Aboriginal political systems are family based, rather than being based on whitefella systems of democratic representation - leading to what some writers call a “tendency to disaggregation”. This has made appeals to narrow self interest very effective in some regions, at the expense of other regions and language/family groups - this is of course, not restricted in its effectiveness to Aboriginal people!

By: Desertgirl

Desertgirl — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Certainly is going to be an interesting few years of government in the NT. It remains to be seen if the Labor party can woo back the voters of the Alice Springs electorates. As someone who resides south of the Berrimah line, it is so good to see an increased non-urban representation in parliament - maybe that will persuade me to vote Labor next election.

And it’s so nice to see the dedication to their electorates shown by the indigenous MPs (both Labor and CLP). Makes a refreshing change.

By: Guy Rundle

Guy Rundle — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Bernard’s right to clarify that authors don’t make their own headlines - which only emphasises how stupid the headline was. The story itself is a neutral report on a great development in a region usually seen as backward, the headline is simply a piece of arid cynicism that completely misrepresents it.

By: Jupurrurla

Jupurrurla — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Re: bush and rural. Point taken.
What a PC latte-sipper I am.

By: Bernard Keane

Bernard Keane — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Fuck off, Graeme Lewis. 1 I didn’t call anything “politically correct”. I don’t do the titles under which my items appear. 2. I wasn’t making an assessment of the competence of the new NT Government - my crystal ball is currently in for a service - rather I was noting the unprecedented representation of three groups traditionally un(der)represented in ministries at State, Territory and Federal level in Australia. There are nearly 200 words in this item but you managed to misinterpret the lot. Good work.

By: Bob Durnan

Bob Durnan — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Bernard, good article & I like your snappy retort to the pompous Mr Lewis. The three new Ministers all have excellent qualities to bring to their new positions, and were not out of the ministry before the election because of any deficiencies, but rather because they too were “new chums” - Alison & Malarndirri entering at the 05 election, and Karl at a by-election in 06. In fact the new NT Labor Ministry is a definite improvement on the pre-election version, which was predicated on trying to retain Darwin & Palmerston seats rather than about giving ministries to the best available talent.

However I would point out that Adam Giles is not the first CLP MLA. That title presumably goes to Hyacinth Puruntameri, whom I recall was the member for part of Arnhem Land between 1974 & 1977, perhaps longer.