The failures of State and Local goverments in relation to the problems in Aboriginal Communties, along with the problems in the murray-Darling, are all clear evidence of the failures of our current three tiered system of government. Too much buck passing, duplication of roles and services, bloated bureacracies, lack of co-ordination and on and on and on.

Sheesh - I might even support a Republic if we got rid of the States and Territories in the deal.

I note that the most recent Media Release from the NT Chief Minister’s website is from June 15th, announcing the realease of the Inquiry Report. [PDF]

There have not been any new releases from ANY NT Govt Minister since then.

Frank,

This will be because Budget Estimates have been on in the NT. My beef is why does it take so long to put the NT debates onto the net. A sign on their website says:

The Parliamentary Record, comprising questions, debates, and minutes of proceedings, is electronically available 3 to 4 weeks after the completion of a sittings.

Even Tasmania had their Estimates Debates up the next day. Not good work from the NT parliament by the look of it.

So it’s up to all Aussies to support our brave and incisive PM who is at least doing something about the problem, unlike all the knockers, who don’t contribute anything to society, just criticism.

I suggestyou get yourselves a hooka pipe.

There have not been any new releases from ANY NT Govt Minister since then.

… I’d stop referring to the current situation in the Northern Territory as a crisis. Because calling something a ‘crisis’ is an excuse to act rashly, without proper consultation or consideration. Which is not to belittle in any way the very real horror of any kind of child abuse — any kind of *abuse* — anywhere. People suffering abuse need immediate, careful and thoughtful assistance. Problems of abuse — anywhere — are chronic, not episodic. They are not sudden, so how can they be fixed suddenly? How can they be answered without proper reference to context?

But a crisis, a crisis lets you get away with acting fast instead of acting smart. And last time we announced a crisis with Aboriginal children, didn’t we end up with a stolen generation?

Minister:- The Hon. Mark McGowan
Subject:- State secures jobs for 37 indigenous employees at Goolari Release Date:- 27/Jun/2007

Minister:- The Hon. Mark McGowan
Subject:- Major $28million indigenous training and education strategy launched Release Date:- 27/Jun/2007

Minister:- The Hon. Mark McGowan
Subject:- Broome boarding house a boost for Kimberley students Release Date:- 27/Jun/2007

Minister:- The Hon. Mark McGowan
Subject:- New facilities at Kimberley TAFE boost employment opportunities for students Release Date:- 27/Jun/2007

Minister:- The Hon. Mark McGowan
Subject:- Additional 2,175 traineeship places for Aboriginal youth Release Date:- 27/Jun/2007

Stick that in your collective pipes and smoke it.

That really does show that Greg’s claim that “sending in the Army makes sense” doesn’t hold, then.

Yes it has, or you are not watching TV news or listening to radio news. The Army is not there in a policing role - it is there to provide logistics - transport, communications, accomodation etc - sustaining operations in a remote environment.

They will not be armed nor acting in a law enforcement role - any suggestion that they are is wilful misrepresentation of the facts.

Sending in the Army makes sense

Aside from the fact that some of the doctors are going to be medical reservists, what exactly are the Army going to achieve? What are they going to do? I don’t think it’s been explained.

And perhaps you could explain how a military solution to a social problem would work.

Better models have been put forth, but would cost too much.

National emergency or not?

More aptly, I’d suggest, the situation is revealed to him, particularly, and that what has been revealed to the Australian population is the failure to previously address the conditions that brought us to this crisis point with anything more than band-aid solutions, the hastiness of the response, and our well-grounded expectation that the response will be poorly coordinated, badly targeted, and largely fail, except in a further disenfranchisement of an already marginalised group.

Better models have been put forth, but would cost too much. Sending in the Army makes sense: we’re already paying for them.