Indigenous people challenge the ‘lost knowledge’ of Australian bureaucracy
Uncomfortable though Indigenous Australians' laments may be to hear, the public servants from PM&C were delighted, writes editor at The Mandarin Harley Dennett.
Australia
Oct 13, 2017
Predictable and safe public administration met provocative and contested Indigenous voices in Sydney this week — nerves of steel were highly recommended.
Try this: “I don’t care if you’re racist,” declared one Indigenous professor invited by the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) to an event jointly hosted by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Yes, I heard the sudden intake of air in the room. Public servants don’t need to be true believers, or graduates of cultural competency training, Professor Steven Larkin explained, as long as they’re doing their jobs competently from nine to five.
Share this article
Related
Popular in Australia
What does each state want from the NEG?
Dylan Voller detained for breaching a ‘yellow zone’ in Commonwealth Games
Morrison too little, too late effort on the royal commission won’t convince
Then and now: the pollies left red-faced over banking commission back-pedaling
Look at it from South Africa’s point of view …
You may also like
Topics
3 comments
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Not already subscribed? Get your free trial, access everything immediately
“All Australian public services need to genuinely involve …….. peoples at all levels of policy development and service delivery. Until this happens they, and their communities, will not get the public services they need and deserve,”
So what? The rest of us are in the same predicament.
Gee Des, you must have had a terrible whitey’s life to say you are in the same predicament as indigenous people.
It must have been awful seeing your friends and relatives fail to receive an education, receive 3rd world health services, unable to find employment, commit teenage suicide, be imprisoned at higher rates and die earlier than others in society. Sounds like you need a society that listens your problems and ignores the ignorant and negative scorners.
Good luck with the rest of your life Des, you may need it.
Lifestyle choices? Who knew that support was melanin dependent?