bcworld

...and the Galaxy poll of 1000 Australian residents said:

And perhaps reflecting recent controversy over the violence being inflicted on Indian students in Melbourne, 52 per cent thought we were a racist nation, 45 per cent said we were not racist and 3 per cent were uncommitted.

No...I don't know what the question was.

Wendy66

Can't read anymore of this thread, I had a Gollywog for years when I was small, it was just a TOY, part of why we left England was to get away from the PC society.

Thankfully a few sensible/balanced comments.

Banksia

Some perspective: while aborigines have not been treated well, remember it was the original (British) migrant settlers who killed many of them. Later generations implemented (somewhat misguided) altruistic policies. Now the nation has apologised with the approval of the vast majority.

The White Australia policy said “No migration from Asia” and it is true the speeches of our early leaders would make your hair stand on end for the number of baseless, stupid assertions (much like WMD). Now migration is being restricted on grounds of absence of needed qualifications. The former policy was stupid and against our own interests but we are over it and the change of policy has been accepted almost overnight without bloodshed. What has been the experience of other countries?

“Treatment” is still not what it might be for aborigines but what do readers suggest should happen now? More Centrelink benefits? Build McMansions in the outback where they want to live but there is no work? There is even dissension in the aboriginal ranks between Noel Pearson and other leaders.

As to more recent migrants, we live in a country of people a huge number of whom were not born here, possibly more than any other country certainly more than 98%. It started with Dagoes after the war, then Poms and Wogs. These words quickly become terms of endearment as the next bunch of migrants came from another source.

Sometimes these minorities then make a feature of the word which recently was seen to disparage them as in Wogs Out of Work. There is a Vietnamese comedian who has a similar act (and fame). In short, we get over this stuff quickly and move on. If only the rest of the world would likewise.

Broad Shoulders

good post.

On the point above, I think there is a lot we can do, and to be honest, there are a hell of a lot of people who want to do more (in government). I work for company who's main focus is to provide govt depts and other private services companies maps and locations of very important services and infrastructure with the main aim to help with the planning, analysis and rollout of vital services. At the drop of a hat, I can give you pinpoint GPS locations of bloody trees in Victoria, of power poles in QLD, of dog parks anywhere in the country and so on and so on. But I cannot get my hands on GPS locations of Aboriginal Communities consistently across the nation.
If I could get all of these, we as a company could provide these to all of the Govt Dept, private services companies which would enable them to begin planning better rollout and care of these communities.
This, to me is an absolute humanitarian tragedy and I don't see any signs of anyone trying to change this

Bernieboy

Careful mate im beginning to like you

bcworld

Halal Vegemite!

Apparently this is "ridiculous" political correctness.

Since the labels were changed in August, Kraft's head office has received regular phone calls from people complaining about the halal labelling on Vegemite.

"People have called us with some fairly strong views about Australian society and culture," Mr Talbot said. "These are views that we at Kraft don't agree with. We don't engage in racist or bigoted commentary.

Seriously, why would anyone care if Vegemite was certified Halal?

Banksia

I venture to suggest the authorities know where most, if not all, of these communities are they provide them with telephone and other services and the Flying Doctor treats them. I'm sure they are not lost. And they can always ask for directions.

But, sadly, that does not answer the question: what do you do next? For a long time there has been no short age people wanting to help as evidenced by the amount of money thrown at the problem. Ask Noel Pearson. Trouble is that does not seem to be the answer. Canada the same and the US too. In the US, they are allowed to run casinos. Is that the answer?

Some are excellent stockmen and property owners found "jobs" for family members but when equal pay was introduced, that was no longer viable and they have been getting benefits ever since. Much like the death of domestic service after the Wars.

Having said that some aboriginal kids who show promise have been getting scholarships to expensive private boarding school and that program seems to be working well.

Broad Shoulders

as singular communities, yes of course they know where they are, but as a collective, no.

Govt authorities do not provide the services you listed, those are private entities. My point is, that if the govt authorities had the knowledge of location of these communities as a collective they could better plan basic services which then in turn opens the door to private entities supplementing with their own services. Whenever I travel to Canberra to visit the Fed Govt depts it is the number one topic/frustration that I hear. I can access maps and aerial photography of some of the most top secret facilities in the APAC region but I cannot find a simple collection of aboriginal communities. Ridiculous!

Banksia

You mean because no one would want to eat it anyway? That is a dangerous suggestion to make two days before Australia Day.

Just because a "Christian" leader says it is PC does not make it such. Then again the choice of this article says more about the Herald Sun than anything. Can it find no real news to print?

Banksia

Can't the boffins in Canberra add up? Governments provide some services (police, education, health) and no doubt subsidise Telstra, and others, for the rest. And they don't know how the money is spent?

This sounds like typical Canberra. We can't do anything till we have uniform legislation or, more recently, uniform guidelines. If they have a solution for any one community (which I doubt) why not implement it there and then roll it out (more Canberra speak) later?

I think they aren't game to say they don't know what to do.

Broad Shoulders

The states provide all of those services, not feds. The states rely on the local govts and their local police to manage the communities. But those depts are not geared up to capture mapping vectors, as we know they are already struggling to provide the services they are there to do. When you consider that there are hundreds of local govts, getting them to coordinate this with the feds is a bureaucratic nightmare. Trust me, I've bled this one to death with them to try and find a way. Telstra will be able to provide a point on the map, but they are not able to provide proper mapping of the areas.

Banksia

OK to move on I'll concede the point, but the Feds have more influence in NT where the remoter communities are. WA is next, then Qld.

But we are still stuck with: we (now) know where they are, but what should we do that won't cause more harm than good? Bearing in mind, of course, that more live in the cities and lots of them are doing as well either.

Broad Shoulders

This is, fundamentally my problem with "The Apology". It was needed from the perspective that it gave many victims the chance to turn the page and also allow a generation that stood by to reflect. But my problem with it is that many people believed that this was the start of something new for Indigenous Australians. When in fact I have seen no change whatsoever since that momentous day in Aboriginal issues. They are no better off now than they were before that day and therefore I think the Apology was guilty of giving some very false hope to a nation. In a way the Apology was a bit of a gimmick

Centurion

Thats not ridiculous political correctness. Thats ridiculous redneckness.

The attitude to Halal foods in Australia shits me. Your average person couldn't even tell you what it means in the same breath they are damning it.

Banksia

Sadly it is what we have come to expect from the likes of the Family Council and the Rev Fred Nile in NSW.

Not to mention the Murdoch press. I used to work for Rupert (30 years ago, ouch) and used to think he was maligned. I've changed my mind.