Comments on: Jenny Macklin turns a deaf ear to intervention gripes

By: Jon Hunt

Jon Hunt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:23:44 +0000

Jungarrayi, perhaps something in writing would be more influential? I don’t know really; at least this is more difficult to ignore and adverse publicity might provide some leverage when no response is received.

By: jungarrayi

jungarrayi — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:52:11 +0000

I was present at one such tier 2 negotiations. I’ve made several requests to our GBM for a copy of the official transcript that I believe as a resident I’m entitled to. I’m yet to receive my copy and wonder if the fact that I’m not Indigenous has anything to do with the delay.

The media release about the Report on the so called consultations bears little relation to the “consultations” that I witnessed and took part in.
An example:
“There were some strongly expressed views about the signs notifying the NTER alcohol and pornography restrictions;” says the Media Release.

We told the public servants that we were thoroughly offended by these signs, that they served no useful purpose other than sending the message to visitors and travellers that our community was swamped in alcohol and had a pornography problem, we asked them how they would like to have such signs outside their own suburbs, that until the Intervention many people in our community didn’t even know what pornography was. That the legislation was superfluous in that laws existing prior to the Intervention adequately dealt with these matters, and why were Aboriginal communities singled out to have this extra layer of punitive laws imposed on them? That the signs and the relevant legislation had to go to give us back our dignity and more… No one spoke in favour of these signs (one of which has been graffitied with “Kevin Rudd- Kuna rrurpa”).
“there were some strongly expressed views….” yes indeed.

A Deaf Ear….. I’ve heard the public servants that often come here to hold “meetings” and “consultations described as “Langa pati”.
In Warlpiri: langa= ear(s), and pati= hard inpenetrable ground

By: Jon Hunt

Jon Hunt — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:25:52 +0000

Ignoring Aboriginal people’s concerns is entirely the reason why the intervention will never work, and dare I say it can only make things worse. This has been the problem since who knows when with governments trying to look (or just trying) as though they are making things better. The gap is only there because governments refuse to admit they don’t have a clue how to deal with this issue, or because they refuse to let go of control, yet the best solution is quite simple. Listen to the Aboriginal people.

By: SBH

SBH — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:25:52 +0000

deaf ear? what a f*cken surprise

By: Jenny McFarland

Jenny McFarland — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 06:17:51 +0000

This is not new - I have been reading through some papers and references that all say the same thing - what works to address the most pressing issues affecting remote Aboriginal communities are strategies that are developed with Aboriginal community participatory planning, consultations where government officials actually go to listen rather than talk talk and talk and point at their whiteboards or power point dot point presentations - and that take place with all Aboriginal language, clan, gender, and age groups in the community included. There are numerous well documented examples of successful initiatives such as the Aboriginal Law and Justice Strategy, the Living with Alcohol programme, and remote Aboriginal community owned Night Patrols (rather than merely community based as they now are). These have all been either dismantled or co-opted by government agencies, where any failures are of course blamed on Aboriginal people. How often do policy and decision makers have to hear/read about these things?? Unfortunately, government is in a position where they hold the purse strings and make the decisions - so they can decide to be deaf to the things they do not want to hear.

By: Liz45

Liz45 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:24:58 +0000

As a non-indigenous person, I’m outraged and very sad, that aboriginal people are still being treated with this veil of paternalistic patriarchy. As a woman, I’ve frequently been treated with paternalism, and now as a more senior person, it’s worse. How demoralising it must be to have to live like this, day in and day out. From what I’ve heard and read about, is that aboriginal people aren’t being listened to, and just as important, aren’t being included in resolving problems/issues that they nominate as negative, or not working, or just plain racist. I had such high hopes prior to the ‘07 election, and I just feel sad and very angry for indigenous people. No wonder they die too young - bloody worn out I’d say!

Has the sewerage pipe/s been fixed yet? It’d been like that for several weeks. If I was Jenny Macklin, I’d have had someone there the same day, or the next day at least? I think it was in the Ampilatwatja area! And what about the people in the out of town camps near Alice Springs? The govt’s method of consulation, was to pin the notice on a fence post?? What an insult?