For a moment, there, the government’s appalling record on Aboriginal affairs was actually getting some attention. But, no, with a bit of misdirection and goading we’re back to normal service.
Mal Brough is proposing compulsory English language education in remote Aboriginal communities. Call me naive and ignorant, but I thought English language education was already compulsory – the problem is that that compulsory education is not being delivered effectively. There’s no doubt that preserving what remains of the various indigenous languages is important (as Andrew Bartlett was discussing recently) -however, the idea that English language fluency is an essential skill is one that’s pretty well impossible to argue with.
But Brough’s remarks were carefully calculated to goad people into disagreeing with him, and several bunnies lined up to do so:
Activist Sam Watson says the Government is pinning the blame on the victims instead of helping them.
“I’m absolutely infuriated by this,” he said.
“The Howard Government seems to be inventing new ways and means of perpetually blaming Aboriginal people and showing cultural disrespect to Aboriginal people.”
Watson has it quite right, but it seems he hasn’t thought it through fully. The government is trying to find ways to blame Aboriginal people for their own problems, and he’s making it easier by allowing himself to be quoted in the opening sentence of the piece as follows:
A Queensland Aboriginal activist has labelled the Federal Government’s push to force Indigenous children to learn English as “racist”.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough says Aboriginal children should learn English so they can get jobs and have more options in life.
For an example of how to turn the issue back onto the government’s neglect, while also giving credit to the cultural significance of keeping languages alive, Warren Mundine shows how it’s done:
“There’s no doubt that indigenous people want education.
“The real issue now is, okay Mal you’ve said this, you’ve stated the bleeding obvious, now show us the money, show us the resources of how this is going to happen.”
Mr Mundine said it was important that Aboriginal children also learn to read and write their traditional languages, and learn about their cultural heritage, in addition to learning English, maths and science.
“Learning about their culture gives them self esteem and that makes people want to get educated,” he said.
But, of course, the media wiill highlight Watson instead of Mundine. And the government will get to make Aboriginal communities look like their own worst enemies again.
But then again, Socialist Alliance candidates have never been big on political savvy.
Mal Brough’s proposal had “dog whistle” written all over it. The government has had a pretty poor week and this is their play to sure up their base and to distract the ALP. It’s good to see that so far the ALP doesn’t seem to be biting on this one.
Textbook work by Brough, take a complex problem and pick out every bit that can be thrown at the communities, wave the welfare stick, and release it to the press.
Very much agree with the sentiment of this post. The trouble with the left’s response is that they keep on pushing the idea of a cultural ghetto to stick Aboriginal people into. Once that happens, it makes it easy for the government to use cultural difference to justify the denial of universal services such as education and health.
Well, I know Sam Watson well, and he’s an immensely important advocate for indigenous people in QLD, a very fine author of fiction, and always looking for ways to cooperate with non-indigenous progressives.
However, Sam’s number one priority is Murri people, and you wont find him apologising for it.
As such, Im afraid he just wont be thinking first of ALP strategy and the ‘counter-wedge’ potential of his response.
He wont lose an iota of Murri community support over it either.
Mal Brough must be getting close to the point where he will be so damaged as a Minister that his seat must almost be in jeopardy.
firstly he was unable to get agreement on the Commonwealth and state disability Agreement because he couldn’t work out how to fund it properly. It remains unsigned and unfunded to this day as far as I am aware.
During the week the Alice Springs Indigenous community knocked back his cash offer for housing because they didn’t like the strings attached to the deal.
Now this. That makes it three strikes Mal. Another bright idea with dubious funding no doubt.
Robert and P. Shrike, the purpose of this post was to highlight a flaky but effective form of wedge politics.
At least I hope it’s just a wedgie. If not, the next step is an attack on bi-lingualism (ie ‘teach em English until they can read Shakespeare: then teach em their Mother tongue like a second language’).
There’s nothing ‘bunny’ like nor ghettoised about the following frustrated response quoted in the ABC report:
“Central Australian Native Title holder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks says Mr Brough needs a reminder that he is not God. She says Mr Brough should stop putting Aboriginal people down.
“To have the freedom in an affluent democratic country to speak your language as well as access that which is outside that will enable you to get jobs and so forth, we’re well and truly aware of that,” she said. There’s no need for him to preach to us. Mal Brough is not God.” “
I just wanted to echo what Lefty E said about Sam Watson’s effectiveness and indeed the respect he is held in by many in Brisbane outside as well as inside the Murri community.
I think that the title for this post would be better if the last two words were deleted.
Just to clarify, I think it’s wonderful and highly desirable that Aboriginal people want to maintain their living languages (not to mention a fundamental right).
But giving the appearance of arguing against English literacy is just letting the government use Aborigines as a political punching bag, as usual. And I cannot see how that can possibly be helpful for any indigenous community.
Graeme, I thought the purpose of the post was to highlight that everyone in this country should be having compulsory English lessons anyway. Raising cultural (i.e. racial) differences to segregate the population is what makes it easier for the government to do such wedge politics. None of this has anything to do with whether anybody wants to learn another language.
When are we going to stop denying people access to universal services on the basis of race?
Robert, I read the linked ABC report and I don’t see any evidence that anyone is arguing against English literacy. If there’s an “appearance” that that is the argument, I don’t think it’s warranted by what’s actually said. As I read the report, it seems to me that what is being questioned is Brough’s motives and good faith.
Mark, I think the confusion comes in what Sam Watson meant by “cultural disrespect” and whether he is referring to a disrespect to indigenous languages. It is not clear, but that seems to be the implication. If so, I think Robert has a point.
As Linda Burnley pointed out yesterday – Brough’s hypocricy on this is breath-taking – its his bloody lot that CUT ALL FUNDING for an indigenous literacy programme last year.
I had to laugh while watching Lateline last night when Michael Kruger began insisting that the Coalition was on a winner once it broadened it’s attack on to the performance of others beside the Opposition Leader’s wife.
There is no doubt that when Brough’s performance is examined that voters will desert the coalition in droves.
Lauredhel has a post up at Hoyden that goes into more details on the issue of disappearing languages:
Australian linguistocide, and antipodeal approaches to aboriginal education
One thing I left out of that post is the shameful contrast of Australian approaches to indigenous languages (including Aboriginal English), with the Maori Language Act.
I think the Australian approach to teaching the national language to the indigenous population is more shameful.
“One thing I left out of that post is the shameful contrast of Australian approaches to indigenous languages (including Aboriginal English), with the Maori Language Act.”
There’s one Maori language, compared to hundreds of Aboriginal languages, which have now shrunk to about 60.
It’s much easier to support and sustain one indigenous language.
The tide has turned for Brough. While Minister assisting the Minister for Defence money was thrown around for any project he named. Now the holders of the Federal Purse string just point and laugh and send him packing with inadequate funding for whatever he proposes whether it be Disability issues or Indigenous issues.
A search of [Brough funding] in any search engine (except google) is instructive in how spectacularly hopeless Brough has been in gaining adequate funding for anything in the past few months. Another dud Minister who deserves to be turfed at the Federal election.
Mick you said
Anthony, you said
My oath!
Everybody:
Alright, foist them all on their own petard ……. and demand compulsory bilingualism for ALL Australian students