For your information.
The following article was written for the magazine of the Australian
Council of Social Services "Impact." The newly elected federal Liberal
Party government in Australia has as one of its first acts been conducting
a witchhunt of Aboriginal non-government organisations ostensibly because
of their concern for "accountability of taxpayers money." This campaign
was prompted by the Liberal Party's claim that over $1 billion (Australian
dollars are worth about 3/4 of US$) has made no difference to the gross
disadvantage suffered by Aboriginal people. It then pointed to the alleged
(no one has been charged or tried yet) mismangement and corruption of two
organisations to justify its claims. The greatest concern of supporters of
Aboriginal rights is that the government is exacerbating the low levels of
support for Aboriginal rights by giving credence to the prejudice that
abounds in Australia at the present time. This was clearly apparent from
the racist statements made by a number of right-wing politicans during the
election campaign.
Aboriginal groups and their supporters have started organising against
these attacks. However it would be fair to say that many gains for
Aboriginal people are under threat. There are for instance proposals to
amend the Native Title Act, which may not in itself be a bad thing. However
it is clear the Government intends to water down the Act. The Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) is also under attack. While ATSIC
has problems which are acknowledged by many in the Aboriginal community,
the government intends to take the axe to them for different reasons.
I have included two articles here. The first is about the new government's
election policy. This was written before their vendetta against Aboriginal
organisations. The second was written after they set about Aboriginal people.
I will try to obtain other sources in Australia to put onto native-l to
give you an indication of what others are saying.
The Liberal Party Aboriginal Affairs Policy
The Coalition Government's Aboriginal Affairs policy needs to be played out
in practice before one makes a final judgement on it. However, going by
their election policy we are seeing an abandonment of the notion of
Indigenous status and rights with not a single mention of the right of
self-determination anywhere in their document.
The Coalition is thus making a clear break with the Labour government's
approach that supported, albeit in often unsatisfactory and tenuous ways,
the recognition that Aboriginal people have rights in common with all
Indigenous people around the world that are still in the process of being
drafted into the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
This recognition has led to the creation of special mechanisms and
structures to account for the history of dispossession in this land. It had
also created debate and discussion about the place of Indigenous people in
Australian society. On the international stage the notion of Indigenous
rights has taken on a forceful form largely through the activities of
Indigenous people themselves.
The Liberal government has opted instead for a return to the view that
Aboriginal people are a minority within Australia that suffer particular
disadvantages. Not that they are Indigenous people with rights and status
towards whom the government has responsibilities, who suffer that
disadvantage because of the history of dispossession and present day
marginalisation and discrimination. Thus they say they "aim to [achieve] a
more equitable Australia, in which Indigenous people participate fully with
their unique [emphasis added] contribution recognised and valued by the
rest of the community."
Given this framework it is therefore not surprising that the emphasis of
their policies, given their belief - also stated in their policy, that a
lot of money has been spent in Aboriginal affairs with little result, is
at the bottom of some of their measures like their intention to have the
Auditor-General performance review of expenditure in Aboriginal affairs.
Other measures proposed are:
* health improvement, including special needs infrastructure program in the
area of health;
* holding a summit of state and Territory Ministers for Aboriginal Affairs,
Health and Attorneys General to develop coordinated approaches to
addressing the causes of Aboriginal imprisonment and deaths in custody;
* retention of ATSIC at the same time seek views of Aboriginal people about
how it should "evolve";
* continued support for CDEP at the same time ensuring Aboriginal people
have full access to the general range of labour market programs;
* strengthening of the Torres Strait Islander Regional Authority;
* retention of the Native Title Act with a view to amend it taking into
account pastoral and mining concerns;
* review the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act
(1984);
* renewal of commitment to the reconciliation process but further
consultations with all Australians about the Social Justice Package
Proposals;
* changes to the Indigenous Land Fund.
* strategies for every area of Aboriginal affairs with funding as part of
coordinated strategies with measurable outcomes;
* support for Indigenous Australians with their culture through language,
music, art and dance;
* increase school retention rates.
The Liberals have clearly stated their belief that addressing disadvantage
comes before social justice. Its a pity they cannot chew gum and walk.
Recognise Indigenous rights as well as address their undoubted disadvantage.
Time to whip the blacks again....
by Nigel D'Souza
The media in tandem with the Government, the National Farmer's Federation
and the Mining Companies are unleashing their power against the Aboriginal
population of this country.
This unequal contest more worryingly is riding on the back of an upsurge in
racism in some areas of the country.
The fact that this campaign is being run on the notion that Aboriginal
people have to be made accountable for taxpayers money is complicating a
rather hysterical debate that discloses more than it reveals.
As with the Pauline Hansen in Oxley, it is therefore based more on the
existence of ignorance about the reality, in other words prejudice.
The Howard Government is doing a number of things by beating up their
ostensible concern for financial accountability.
They are further marginalising Aboriginal people by portraying them as
always receiving.
They are also attempting to reshape the agenda in Aboriginal affairs by
focussing on the undoubted abuses that exist in the expenditure patterns of
some organisations. In times of financial hardship they are contrasting the
need for government to cut expenditure and the enforced immiseration of
many in the population with an impression that Aboriginal people are living
off this hardship in privileged circumstances. Their response - the need
for financial accountability - can only therefore be seen as reasonable.
Part of this agenda is the imperative to drive back notions of Indigenous
rights. The nineties concept of citizenship in economic rationalist
Australia is no longer based on ideas of solidarity or collective
responsibility for those who may be disadvantaged. Everyone is equal on
this level playing field. If the Coalition Government's vendetta against
so-called "political correctness" is to be successful at all it will have
to crack Aboriginal affairs. If the Coalition is to be successful in
cutting back in Aboriginal affairs it will have to negate the notion of
Indigenous rights. Their concern for good management will be contrasted
with this in their efforts.
Part of their campaign is the use of "soft" racism. This is the kind of
racism that is based on innuendo and prejudice but does not openly admit to
targeting Aboriginal people because they are Aboriginal. The politicians
claim they are responding to the anonymous pressure of community opinion.
Racism has become respectable under the Howard Government in its earliest days.
Pauline Hansen's campaign in Oxley was based on ignorance and prejudice - in
publicly claiming that Aboriginal people received privileged treatment from
the government.
In doing this she tapped the well of ignorance about the reality which on
the contrary continues to show that Aboriginal people are still the most
severely disadvantaged group in Australia and that they do not receive any
special benefits.
Indeed there are programs to address their particular disadvantage like the
Community Development Employment Program, the so-called work for dole
scheme (unemployment benefits are pooled to create employment, 25% is
provided by ATSIC for capital associated with the projects) that employs
over 22,000 people mainly in rural and remote areas.
There are Multifunctional Aboriginal Children's Services offering a range
of child care by Aboriginal people for Aboriginal people because evidence
prior to their setting up had shown that Aboriginal people did not use
mainstream community based services as is still the case.
There are Aboriginal community health services just as there are mainstream
community health services.
The Howard Government is being disingenuous by giving the impression that
the Aboriginal affairs budget which amounts to a overall across portfolio
and program expenditure is $1362 million is managed totally by ATSIC.
ATSIC's share of the total expenditure is $888 million, of this $252
million (most of this would have been paid to people as their entitlement
in unemployment benefits of some sort) or just over a quarter goes to the
CDEP . This means that less than half of total expenditure in Aboriginal
affairs is actually directly controlled by ATSIC.
Another $200 million goes to the Community Housing and Infrastructure
Program (CHIP). Funding from this program goes to "Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander community councils, community organisations and the
relevant State/Territory Governments and service agencies "(emphasis added)
(ATSIC Budget Papers 1993-94).
The reality is that the management of the $1362 million spent on
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander programs, services and projects, is
shared between Commonwealth, State and non-government agencies.
We should also not lose sight of the fact that the total legal aid services
budget funded by ATSIC is worth $32 million. A part of this spent on
Aboriginal Legal Services.
In this context it should be clear that the alleged mismanagement and
dishonesty of two Aboriginal legal services worth some $6 million at the
most, is the justification for a vendetta by the Howard Government against
services and programs that are worth over a billion dollars. The vast
majority of whom are as clean as a bell and going about the task of
delivering services to Aboriginal people with inadequate funding and a
great deal of commitment from the people who work in them.
One can only speculate about the Howard Government's real agenda when
confronted with these facts. Is it a preliminary to rolling back gains made
since the High Court recognised Native Title?
One thing is certain though, it is confirming the prejudices of many
including those who have no access to alternative information and will no
doubt encourage racists to come out and peddle their own version of the
Howard Government's agenda. Mr. Howard may appear impermeable to
accusations of racism against him and his government but both he and the
Australian people will pay for this in the long run. Those who are not
directly affected may stand by silently and watch, but it should be ringing
alarm bells for many in Australia. One of the first acts of the new
government has been to whip the blacks again and pay for the sins of
others. The whole community sector should be concerned and should begin to
organise before it is tool late.