Archive for the ‘Jenny Macklin’ Category
Macklin advancing to the past
photo: galdu.org
Jenny Macklin has responded to Tangentyere township’s refusal to lease their property for 40 years, by announcing that she will take over by force. Using crisis rhetoric is allowing the government to limit self-determination and force assimilation, undoing years of progress in the process. Understandably, the township is wary of the government’s intentions with the leasing, and does not want to give up hard-earnt land rights. Former Labour election candidate George Newhouse has announced the compulsory acquisition can be referred to the United Nations.
Is there really no other way to improve the service infrastructure in these towns than through leasing land? Why is this not done in other parts of Australia?
Social dysfunction is a result of over two centuries of conflict, mistreatment and forced relocation that has left many people without social and cultural points of reference. To think that it will take a couple of electoral periods to ‘fix’ that, is plainly naïve. Land rights has given people a sense of ownership and direction, creating the fertile ground for re-setting cultural roots and starting a healing process.
Conditions are not good in these communities, and they are testimonial to Australia’s failure to achieve good outcomes for the First People of the nation. If there is one lesson that can be learnt, however, it is that moving people into towns does itself not solve problems. Moving people off country and into town has been done before, and it has failed before. The Healthy Country, Healthy People report reminds us of the connection between Indigenous people and their ancestral lands. Having access to work, school, health and country together provide for healthy, functioning communities. This is proven by those Indigenous people who have achieved these.
Other solutions are possible: the carbon trading scheme, border control, biodiversity conservation, tourism are all avenues for revenue in remote areas. What is Jenny Macklin envisaging the Indigenous people do in larger townships in the Northern Territory?
