By way of illustrating the fact that I fully understand that this country is not some sort of endless holiday camp of joy and fun - here's a very interesting article on the BBC website in which a UN housing expert says that "Australia's Aborigines live in some of the worst housing in the world." Government's response along the lines of "We just don't dip our lid to anybody, you see. We're an independent country and an independent government," is intersting too.

The Aboriginal issue is certainly a tricky one.

It's weird to think that within Australia there exists what is effectively a Third World State.

Solving those problems is difficult when you have your old school Ozzies tell them to "get off their arses" (functioning alcoholics hate non-functioning alcoholics) and the far-left that are blind to the complete lack of self-responsibilty prevalent in many of those communities.

Those who chose to blame the "whites" for their woes are not alone, I know many Scots, Irish & indeed white Australians who blame the English for all their own shortcomings.

I think to be honest the parliamentarians are fairly happy with the status quo i.e. they don't really give a toss.

Which is a pity because I think with a bit of money flung at those areas, not just material investment but also intellectual investment (e.g. to combat mental issues, educate about coping skills), then a lot of those problems could be alleviated considerably.

If after genuine attempts to completely solve the problem there still exists a shunning of personal & communal responsibilities in those communities then just leave them to live the lives they want to live.

Then at least Australia can stand up and say "look, we really tried."

It may be argued that part of the problem is the money being thrown at such areas. Even with the best of intentions, it could be seen that government policies have added to the problems of many indigenous Australians. Effectively allowing families to exist on welfare can enable them to not need to work. So alcohol, drugs, petrol sniffing etc. can all follow, if jobs don't.

I know that this is a somewhat controversial view (and one that, it could be claimed, applies elsewhere). And I'm not sure that it's one I necessarily subscribe to (I think it's much more complex than this view suggests by blaming one group).

And I do wonder whether anyone has bothered to truly consult indigenous communities about their views of the situation and what could be done to help matters? (Rather than just some token lip service.)

I visited the Northern Territory earlier this month and was absolutely shocked (and greatly saddened) at the poverty apparent in some areas. But I guess that the indigenous communities are far enough away for it not really to intrude or bother the majority of people.

Exactly out of sight out of mind, truly third world and I would hazard a guess very few australians let alone poms bother or care to see it. One of the saddest aspects is petrol and glue sniffing in kids, sons grade 7 teacher did rural service outback primary and said it was a very common problem as a form of escape from their nightmare lives.

Very different side to australia from the 4 x 2 with pool everyone thinks is the norm.

I noticed in the weekend paper an article on a aboriginal man, all he had done was became a doctor, at the time I did think how completely unlikely it would be for a UK/US newspaper to run a feature because a a black person had had become a Doctor. Maybe they did run articles like that probably in about 1906 not 2006.

That is so shockingly arrogant, isn't it?! What an attitude.

Without wanting to start a "war" I don't think that this is a topic that can be properly discussed on a website. It is far too complex. In defence of Australian governments, billions of dollars have been given to Aboriginals over more than two decades via ATSIC etc. but very little of it seems to have been used to benefit the Aboriginal people in general. Also through Abstudy more money is given than is given to the general population through Austudy. We then have the complications of culture, tradition and law. In some areas what has been accepted for eons in Aboriginal culture would be unacceptable in ours and governments would have been castigated for interfering. No win situation.
Over the years I have worked with a good number of Aboriginals who are disgusted with the way many of their fellows live and consider that there is no need for it. However, as I said in the beginning, it is a very complex question. But please don't condemn Australians for doing nothing or not caring because nothing is further from the truth.

There are too many 'third world' cultures all over the world that don't mix with the politics and economics of the modern society.

There is no point in trendy lefty liberals telling them to preserve their stone age culture and expect it dovetail into modern society with ease.

It's about time these cultures got with it and stopped blaming the rest of the world for their ills. That's progress.

Yes, the same was apparent to me when travelling in the NT. Some of the housing is nothing more than corrugated shacks, and, crammed together, they resemble shanty towns.

It is shocking how at one extreme, the indigneous people (or perhaps their culture) are exploited for tourism (look at how many tacky gift shops in the richest of suburbs sell Aboriginal products), and at the other, they live like this.

It is shocking that anyone ,regardless of their ethinticity, is that a word, should be living in these conditions, but I question your use of the word "exploited".

I think Poms who obviously have NO IDEA about the Aboriginal people and their culture are EXTREMELY unequipped in answering any questions regarding Aboriginals, Australia's opinions, and efforts to help their situation.

I suggest poms go and check out places like Darwin or maybe Nhulumbuy before you sit here and decide what Australians are doing.

As for the comment we ' really' tried... again, really... give up mate. Get out there and see what's really going on before you decide that it's easy to solve the problems Aboriginal people face. If it were up to the English the Aboriginals would have been forced to join in Australian society and leave their traditions behind.

Your comments only prove that you are an ignorant pom who has not stepped outside Perth.

Having grown up in the NT a lot of my friends were pure blood Aboriginals and I'd like to point out that many CHOOSE to live like this. Many don't actually VALUE a nice house. They don't VALUE a nice car. They are DIFFERENT to many people in this world. This is probably something you should realise.

If you don't understand Aboriginal culture then you will NOT understand this. Again, being a pom I highly doubt you would know anything about Aboriginals, their beliefs, their traditions and their ambitions.

It is interesting that true progress will not be made until we learn to understand and live with each other's differences.

Pom Count - 4 in 2 posts ...

I like the points you make about not judging people by 'commonly held western values' values tho' ...

hey mackinnon, thats u telt

Honestly, it's such a difficult situation. We can say to them ' look forget your past, and your traditions, and values, and here live in this nice big house, buy this nice car, go to uni and get a good job'. But, believe it or not... many do not want this.

At my school they DID try to do this, I went to a private school and Aboriginal kids went their to learn ENGLISH for free, they lived at the school as well. However... lo and behold, they didn't want to go to class, they preferred catching frill neck lizards in the playground and frying them up on a makeshift fire. And to be honest, most teacher's didn't want to push them to class like they did with the white kids, because it is such a sensitive issue.

They way they are brought up is so different, if you take an Aboriginal studies class or something you will see what I mean. Their culture is that all people are automatically an individual who can make their own choices. Regardless of age, many parents will NOT tell their kids what to do. Instead of psychical space they believe in mental space, which gives reason to why 20 extended family members live in one house, and also why young kids are allowed to play outside until late at night.

Given this, you cannot force these kids to go to school and learn white people's values. It is insulting to them to take instructions from some stupid white woman or a white government. At the end of the day Aboriginal people and leaders need to help themselves because we as white people literally cannot understand all their traditions and we cannot speak for them. They need to create law and order and societies based on their own culture and they need leaders who are Aboriginal so people will listen and respect them.

I don't mean to be harsh, but living in England where it's all about class and pretending to be posh when your not, poms really have no idea who Aboriginal people are and how to help them.

Has a pom upset you somewhere along the way?