7-12-07, 9:17 am

The Howard Governments military campaign to seize control of 73 remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory is meeting stiff resistance. The PMs acclaimed understanding of the Australian people (or, rather, cynicism of what we aspire to) has misfired. Mere weeks after boldly announcing the stripping away of the democratic rights and dignity of the residents of the neglected communities, his government is now scrambling to shore up its credibility on the issues.

The letters pages of the newspapers are not favourable. The latest Morgan Gallop poll shows a one per cent drop in approval for the Coalition. A Galaxy poll reveals that only 25 per cent of voters believe the operation is motivated by concern over Aboriginal children 58 per cent see it as a vote-grabbing exercise.

The first skirmish was over compulsory medical checks for the Aboriginal children under 16 years of age. When first announced, these examinations were to be focussed unambiguously at detecting evidence of sexual abuse. They were to be conducted by force if necessary with the assistance of the police or military officers. The repugnance in the whole community at such a policy was strong and immediate.

Now, Health Minister Tony Abbott assures us, the compulsion to be used will probably be financial. Certain payments could be withheld in a manner similar for parents Australia-wide who do not vaccinate their children. There might be financial incentives. The government now claims, unconvincingly, that the examinations were never about sexual abuse. They are now said to be comprehensive checks with follow-up for the condition of the heart, lungs, hearing, eyesight, teeth, blood sugar levels and so on.

'If in the course of a health check something is uncovered which suggests that there might be the need for a forensic examination, well, that will be done in accordance with the ordinary processes', the Health Minister told The Age last week, in an effort to keep the sexual abuse connection in play.

It is claimed over 200 health professionals have volunteered to help with the examinations. This has raised its own concerns. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma wants checks on the backgrounds of these volunteers. Speaking in Alice Springs last week, the commissioner pointed to the fact that 12 out of the 13 prosecutions for child sexual abuse on Pitjantjatjara lands last year involved white offenders. And while the government claims to have consulted mining companies about the predatory behaviour of some employees, it appears managements have shrugged off and simply denied the possibility.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough has also had to do some fast talking during the week. The self-administered permit system for entry onto the communities land is recognised as essential to help keep out the grog-runners and paedophiles. When announcing the abolition of the system on the affected communities, Brough claimed it allowed all sorts of abuse and corruption to go on unchecked and unreported by the media. Then it was said to be a roadblock to economic development. Last Sunday on SBS Indigenous affairs program Living Black, he appeared to be claiming the system prevented additional police from coming onto the communities.

Brough has also had to fend off criticism that the governments whole package is a thinly veiled grab for Aboriginal land. As Reconciliation Australia co-chair Fred Chaney pointed out, the onus is on the government to explain the need to control the land in order to protect the children. The only feint and unconvincing response has been to suggest that it might be easier to perform maintenance on houses if they are on five year leases. No reasons are given as to why and few are convinced. Many commentators see the next five years as a period in which the Commonwealth will go all out to sell the idea of 99-year leases, sink native title and ensure a drift of remote communities residents to the towns.

Welfare 'reform'

The reaction to the discriminatory welfare measures imposed on residents of remote Aboriginal communities might well have forced the government to introduce the next wave of welfare 'reform' earlier than intended. The 'quarantining' of half of Centrelink family payments to ensure essentials such as rent, food and medical expenses are paid for is to be applied to ALL parents on the communities. The grouping of parents currently ensuring school attendance and seeing to their childrens welfare along with the dysfunctional ones has few defenders outside the government.

Cabinet responded by announcing in principle support for the same system to be applied to the rest of the Australian population except in this case, only to the 'bad' parents. Initially, 40 per cent of benefits were to be isolated for 12 months but, in the interest of even-handedness (or spin), this was increased to the 50 per cent legislated for the remote communities.

About two million Australian parents receive family payments, chiefly through the Family Tax Benefit. Those found to be failing in their duty to send their kids to school or not meeting other 'indicators' for the childrens well being will get the quarantining treatment. The new regime is interested in 'neglect', not just 'abuse'. Child protection authorities will have to report 'at risk' children'. States and territories will be forced to hand over truancy records, definitions of 'truancy' will have to be determined. The thousands of parents Mal Brough believes do not even enrol their children in school will have to be brought to heel.

State authorities are understandably put out and perplexed. NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca pointed out that only six people in the state have been prosecuted over the past seven years for failing to enrol their children as is required by law. Only three of those cases were successful. The Federal Government is not talking about assistance for parents with drug, alcohol and gambling addictions that might be causing them to waste family benefits, just punishment and shaming.

Support for the government is coming from the usual quarters. The Australian carried an editorial last Wednesday that lamented that Australia has fallen behind the US in 'welfare reform' in recent times. Hawke and Keatings record was an inspiration for Tony Blair and his 'respect agenda'. Recently, however, 'Australias insular liberal left has failed to keep up and is still captive to the welfare lobby and its Robin Hood mentality.' The Murdoch flagship also let fly with a spray for the whole notion of publicly administered welfare:

'Unconditional welfare payments are a relatively modern phenomenon that accompanied the rise of the welfare state. When churches and charities provided welfare, there was an expectation that recipients had to conform to acceptable standards of behaviour to be deserving of charity, reinforcing social norms.'

Churches and charities in charge of welfare again? Couldnt be! Or could it?

From The Guardian