Ten years ago the Federal conservative Australian government took over 73 aboriginal communities suspending land rights legislation in order to do so. Their reason was the evidence of appalling abuse of children in this communities. It was about saving children, about giving then security and not having to live in fear of abuse. The Labor Federal government that followed agreed with the intervention and continued it.
Today on TV there is a call by aboriginal communities for an apology from the current Federal government for this intervention. The cry is that the intervention had over ridden self determination for the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. I am a great believer in the self determination argument and am mortified to hear 10 years down the track that reported child abuse has doubled despite the intervention. A note of caution is that the intervention may have triggered more reporting of abuse but the lack of overall success of the intervention stands.
The intervention also saw less houses available as more old ones were pulled down than new ones built.
Another aspect of the intervention was the taking over of the government social security payments such that they were not to be in cash but quarantined in a welfare card to stop spending on alcohol and drugs instead of the essentials for living. The jury is out on the success of the welfare card but it is now applied to non aboriginal as well as aboriginal communities and many swear by its positive effects. However the welfare card system caused some aborigines to lose their work for the dole jobs.
Standing back 10 years down the track any thinking human has to support activity that stops children being abused aboriginal or non aboriginal. Maybe a brief and temporary intervention would have been better to allow a stronger self determination to take its place. Very complicated.
Even with my support for self determination by the aboriginal people I don't think anything is to be achieved by the I told you so approach of a government apology. This is especially the case as we wait for the aboriginal referendum decision that if not watered down constitutionally supports self determination. We should be impatient for this and at the same time aboriginal communities should be doing everything they can to nurture their children in a safe and happy environment as should also non aboriginal persons.
May the Force be with us for understanding and tolerance!
GD
25 June 2017
Today nn TV I heard a young female aboriginal community worker from Alice Springs in central Australia speak positively about the effects of the intervention particularly from the point of view of women, children and those men who resist violent behaviour in their communities. She felt it raised awareness and resulted in aboriginal communities working to eliminate violence in aboriginal communities.
May the Force be with all aboriginal Australians!
GD
