“Then there’s the fact that all this is basically assimilation – and compulsory assimilation – in a very real way.”

All Forest wants to do is bring indigenous folk into the paid workforce. Bringing people into the paid workforce has nothing to do with assimilation. In multicultural Australia it isn’t unusual for example to have an Indian Sikh, a third-generation Jew and a white overtly homosexual male all working side-by-side and very definitely unassimilated.

Your graceless attitude to what is an entirely positive development is utterly baffling.

(a) I’ve pointed out that the current “debate” over Indigenous policy is as stereotyped, ideological and falsely polarised as the previous one;

(b) I don’t accept those dichotomies.

I think that you’re unwilling to read what I’m actually saying (which is by no means a wholly negative reaction) so you need – for some reason which actually has little to do with me – to position me within the terms of a “debate” I’m actually trying to transcend.

“”I welcome this bold initiative and the willingness of the Australian government to join with employers to prepare Aboriginal people for employment and to create real jobs for our people,” he said.

Mr Wunungmurra said the NLC wanted to join the steering committee, chaired by Mr Forrest, to prepare a blueprint for the plan.

“The Prime Minister has talked about the need for a strong and close partnership with Indigenous people in order for this plan to have any chance of success,” he said.

“I wholeheartedly agree with this.”

http://www.nit.com.au/breakingnews/story.aspx?id=15694

It is apparent that Mr Wunungmurra rejects Mark Bahnisch’s welfarist and segregationist vision. Is he now going to be demonised as per Noel Pearson?

Yes, he did say that. But what we’ve seen – unless I haven’t been keeping up with it – is a limited trial of welfare quarantining in a Perth suburb. Which Macklin said would only be extended if it works.

Yes, they’re using small groups to test social engineering techniques for the wider community. There are ethical questions about this approach especially when its race based. I think its better than just rolling out large changes to everyone at once, but does need to be thought out carefully.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I vaguely remember Noel Pearson saying that he thought these sort of schemes should be available for the wider population as well eventually. Kind of like what is happening with welfare quarantining in non indigenous areas now.

Yes, he did say that. But what we’ve seen – unless I haven’t been keeping up with it – is a limited trial of welfare quarantining in a Perth suburb. Which Macklin said would only be extended if it works.

Are you sure indigenous people are going to be drafted into this programme and have their welfare cut if they refuse to comply?

Also you misinterpret my motives. I favour a “tough love” approach because I think it will help these young blokes in the long run. When I was 18, living with my parents and unemployed I was given the choice by the old man- get a job now or get out. So I left. It felt cruel at the time but I’m thankful for it now. Paternalism isn’t always a bad thing.

Well, perhaps he does, Chris, but you know, evidence based policy and all that!

Oh but that was just an election mantra, not a policy

I’ve long since given up expecting most of the so-called “libertarians” and “liberals” to make points like these, but talk about social engineering!

I agree its a bit odd to see things like this get such quick agreement from the Labor party. But it is consistent with the Kevin Rudd that was elected.

Which is surely why – since we’re going further down the track of policy that has differential application dependent on the race of its targets – we should be very very careful indeed in attending to compulsion. Which I will continue to oppose on a variety of grounds.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I vaguely remember Noel Pearson saying that he thought these sort of schemes should be available for the wider population as well eventually. Kind of like what is happening with welfare quarantining in non indigenous areas now.

In terms of assimilation, I think it very much depends on exactly what you mean by assimilation? If changes in in life expectancy rates are going to change, then I’d expect at least some assimilation would be happen. But this doesn’t mean that you would lose all of the culture – anymore than an immigrant does when they move to Australia.

Then there’s the fact that all this is basically assimilation – and compulsory assimilation – in a very real way. Which is surely why – since we’re going further down the track of policy that has differential application dependent on the race of its targets – we should be very very careful indeed in attending to compulsion. Which I will continue to oppose on a variety of grounds.