The recently published "Little Children are Sacred" report is a good document. At over 300 pages long I am not going to claim to have read the whole thing, but I have read through most of section 1 and have gone over the 97 recommendations fairly thoroughly. The only thing I can think is that the authors of this report must be wondering which report John Howard is reading because his actions and the actions of Mal Brough's Department in no way reflect the sentiments, emphasis or direct wording of the actual report.
For example no where can I find a recommendation that requests, suggests or even alludes to bringing in the Federal Police or the Army.
The report does recommend, however:
28. That the Police actively recruit more Aboriginal police
officers, Aboriginal Community Police Officers and
Police Auxiliaries and to station more female officers in
remote communities with a preference for Aboriginal
female police officers.
I wonder also about all of these Federal Police and Army personnel who are being generously donated from all the Southern States, how much cross-cultural training do you think they have received in preparation for their 'ongoing' work in remote Communities? Especially when the report specifically states:
91. That compulsory cross-cultural training for all
government personnel be introduced, with more
intensive cross-cultural capability training for those
officers who are involved in service delivery and
policy development in respect of Aboriginal people.
Specifically, government to introduce:
a. a comprehensive Aboriginal culture induction
program for all new teachers to the Territory and
for existing teachers about to take up positions in
remote schools (it is recommended this program
run for three weeks full time)
b. training in Aboriginal language concepts for
those teachers already teaching in or about to
commence at remote schools to promote an
understanding of the nuances of Aboriginal
society.
92. That government personnel who are working closely
with Aboriginal people be encouraged to undertake
relevant language training and such encouragement
should be accompanied by appropriate incentives.
I can't find the recommendation(s) in the report that in any way refer to revoking the permit system and thereby diminishing Native Title. I'm sorry John, explain to me why that is wrapped up in the issue of Child sexual abuse? (I'll try to avoid any analogies about Iraq, Oil and Weapons of Mass Destruction!)
I did however, find these recommendations related to Aboriginal law being respected and upheld, which I think hold alot of merit:
71. That, as soon as possible, the government facilitate
dialogue between the Aboriginal law-men and law-
women of the Northern Territory and senior members
of the legal profession and broader social justice
system of the Northern Territory. That such dialogue
be aimed at establishing an ongoing, patient and
committed discourse as to how Aboriginal law and
Northern Territory law can strengthen, support and
enhance one another for the benefit of the Northern
Territory and with a specific emphasis on maintaining
law and order within Aboriginal communities and the
protection of Aboriginal children from sexual abuse.
72. That, based on the dialogue described in the
recommendation above above, the government gives
consideration to recognising and incorporating into
Northern Territory law aspects of Aboriginal law that
effectively contribute to the restoration of law and
order within Aboriginal communities and in particular
effectively contribute to the protection of Aboriginal
children from sexual abuse.
73. That the government commit to the establishment
and ongoing support of Community Justice Groups
in all those Aboriginal communities which wish to
participate
No where did I see a recommendation calling for the compulsory health screening of all Indigenous Children. In fact the only reference to screening that I could find related to the screening of staff being employed to work with Indigenous Children.
No where do I see recommendations saying that welfare payments should be taken away or replaced by food vouchers. No where did I see it recommended that the Government should step in and tell Indigenous people how to spend their baby bonus, when they would not dream of doing this for a white parent!
Time and again though I saw recommendations acknowledging how under funded services to remote Communities are and requesting money to enable the continuation of programs that are already working but struggling due to bureaucratic red tape in Canberra and Darwin.
Perhaps the most important recommendation of all, I thought was:
3. That the Northern Territory and Australian
Governments develop long term funding programs
that do not depend upon election cycles nor are
limited by short-term outcomes or overly bureaucratic
reporting conditions and structures.
When will the Goverment stop making decisions that make sense in a Canberra Office, but no sense in a Community in the middle of the desert?
Really John, really Mal, which report are you working from?
Read the report for yourself: http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/inquirysaac/pdf/bipacsa_final_report.pdf
