The whole point is that we are trying to *raise* their status to equals. In the mean time, we still need to give them full rights, like any other citizen - 1) because this is just, and 2) because they will never attain full equality and full ability to participate in society if they are dictated to like children. This is straight from the liberalism of John Stuart Mill.

And herein lies the conflict innate to the way luvvies think about indigenous issues. On the one hand, you move hell and high water to divide Australia into indigenous and non-indigenous, insist on policies and funding that apply only to aborigines. Yet here when policies and funding ARE directed exclusively at certain unique remote communities, you insist that all Australians must be treated the same.

Which is it going to be?

Now, from today’s Age:

Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough told ABC Radio that if the Government was breaching the Discrimination Act then it was “in the interests of saving children … and I make no excuse for it”.

But delegates from the Central Land Council say they are no less interested in protecting children. They back pornography and alcohol bans and quarantining welfare payments to bad parents — just not to all people.

I wish I could find who said it, but it’s worth repeating anyway: students are given longer to write an essay than the Senate has been given to read this 500 page bill and evaluate it.

Wow, how original! A leftist feminazi stamps her jackboot

Wow, indeed! Greenfield is both sexist and hates the poor, as he delightfully informed us over at LeftWrites about his opinion on public housing, which he described as ‘fetid social sewers’.

Nor do I have any specific evidence of actual electoral fraud having being committed or being plotted right now - again, just trends, track-record and an all-too-familiar pattern emerging; although the disenfranchisement of the “undeserving” is cause for serious concern. Whilst I have respect for the dedication and the probity of the Aust. Electoral Commission staff themselves, there are still opportunities for electoral fraud …. and so long as the Liberal, Labor and Nationals have a christmas-grip on the process, don’t expect any beneficial electoral reform any time soon.

I will be only too happy to admit I was wrong if we do indeed have a completely free and fair federal election …. and in good time too.

Well blow me down with a feather, you actually stepped up to defend me!!! While I am bullet-proof when it comes to cheap insults like that, I can tell that YOU are serious about folks cheapening the “racist” label. Clearly you fully realise that racism is a very real and ugly phenomenon that even in 2007 still hurts millions of people. It would help if rather than framing your bossy-finger as a “don’t feed the troll Greenfield” opportunity, you actually slapped ’silkworm’ properly about these realities.

Even if you don’t, props for at least doing something. Have a lovely night, sweetie.

& for god’s sake EVERY ONE - make sure your electoral details are up to date - otherwise kiss that vote goodbye.

Three mighty cheers!!!!.

Tim [at 12:57pm]:
At least you do indeed understand incremental evil. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not ….yet. Your grandfather would have told you all about what happened AFTER 1933 and how almost everybody still hung onto the irrational hope that things would get better sooner or later ….

If not a delayed or suspended federal election then almost certainly a rigged one. These people have shown time and again their ruthlessness, their lack of honour and their abandonment of fair-dinkum Australian values.

This legislation has to be stopped - is there a senator on the government side with a smiggen of humanity? We’re about to find out.

Back to the topic. It will not be pretty or edifying if Labor is elected in the lower house and, as is likely, the coalition retains control of the Senate. Since most of them lack any semblance of principle, they will reject everything the lower house throws at them as a matter of principle, the principal one of which will be money supply. (Sorry, just wanted to get those two words in the one sentence.)

Quit it.

Lynda, firstly, there’s no mathematical way Labor can get the numbers in the Senate. But if the ACT swings either 2 ALP or 1 ALP 1 Green, instead of 1 ALP 1 Lib, the right lose control of the senate immediately, since senators from the territories take their seats immediately.

And secondly, I wish I had your faith in the ALP simply repealing these laws. Sadly, I’m not so sure.

Getting the shits and giggling = racist!!?? OK, I’ll play. Please explain.

Also note that the legislation provides Brough with more discretionary executive powers regarding changing the legislation - without having to refer back to parliament.

This is becoming a common tactic of the government. However I understand from articles with lots of words in them, written by Paul Kelly (the most important person in Australia) and Janet (intrepid and courageous defender of Western Civilisation) Albrechtsen that ‘Executive Action trumps consultation with civil society’, every time.
As we all know, people who don’t support the government had their chance at the last election. They lost. Which bit of ‘loser’ don’t they understand?
I expect to be reading equally spirited defences of executive action, untrammelled by the need for consultation with losers, after the next election.

I suspect that once Labor has won the election then this will be one of the first things they will look at. But, then again, it will also depend on the make-up of the Senate. I can’t see Labor getting numbers in the Senate after the election (and even if they did, there is the “lag” relating to when the new members take their positions) but even if the numbers are borderline then it might be that some of the disaffected Libs - who clearly have issues with this whole intervention - might side with Labor and the minors to either repeal it or make appropriate changes.

I’m not holding my breath, but you never know. It ain’t over until the fat lady sings, as they say.

It’s Greenfield who is trying to divert a discussion … for shits and giggles.

He gets his shits and giggles out of this topic because he is a racist.

Labor voted for Brough’s legislation (including Garrett, even though he “spoke against it”) and my guess is they probably won’t repeal it.

So the Howard dictatorship is ramming through corrupt and discriminatory legislation in what looks like its dying days. No big surprise here really, but dissappointing that our democratic system has been abrogated so that the Executive can pretty much do as they please without scrutiny or accountability.

Also note that the legislation provides Brough with more discretionary executive powers regarding changing the legislation - without having to refer back to parliament.

The Senate was the last bastion of democracy - and has been reduced to a rubber stamp with some psuedo-enquiries added for PR purposes. It will be interesting to look at what arises from their 1 day review. They probably won’t even finish reading the 500 pages, let alone reviewing and/or amending them. Its a flipping disgrace.

But the world is a very different place now from what it has been. When even Mugabe holds elections, they won’t be suspended here.