This new place of leaning would be a safe place for young people to be. We can use the oval to play footy, hold concerts and circuses…and the feast is bountiful.

Bringing hundreds of young people together in a place of learning and sharing from teachers and elders. Developing social harmony; not domestic violence. Developing safety; not danger. Evoking humanity in a positive way; building our present and future. Combined spiritual synergy that is filled with love; not hate.

Just for fun, try to Goggle Earth this concept to get an idea of what this would look like.

As an added bonus, we could buy back the Todd Tavern (across the road) and establish that as the accommodation centre (upstairs) for the students attending the school and downstairs as a a therapeutic and complementary healing centre that incorporates traditional (nunkuri) healing, massage, yoga, tai chi, meditation etc. What would you like to add to the mix???

It’s all so possible…it’s just up to us to make it happen. Alice Springs is an amazing place. Today is my 17th Alice-versary…I’m so very glad I came to be here.

Happy Alice-versary, Alice!!!

I am buoyed by the significant community response to the idea of ‘buying back the pub’ (Todd Tavern) and redeveloping it into a holistic health and well-being centre that focuses on health not wealth.

Given that the CAAC (Cover-up At Any Cost) meager management team are unlikely to take on this challenge, I’m very happy to contribute financially to a Community Development Fund that would see the property owned by community…for community. We could collectively raise the required funds through fun(d)raisers like concerts on Anzac Oval featuring many of our ‘home-grown’ talents like Warren H. Williams, Zenith and Fiona O’Loughlan. We could even bank with our local Bendigo Community Bank that supports community-based initiatives.

There are some in the community who don’t quite ‘get’ the big picture here. I invite them to visit my web-site at www.philwalcott.com.au and spend some time (breaths) seeing how this all fits into the larger perspective.

Phil Walcott
IndependeNT Candidate for Greatorex
Alice Springs

Just goes the show the power that Independent representatives can have in any government. They ‘cherry-pick’ good ideas from whichever side…and roll out good policy.

Australia is so fortunate now to have the opportunity to ‘move forward’…to grow, prosper and develop for all of her population.

Sir,

If the Aboriginal Medical Services (aka Congress) here in Alice Springs was serious about tackling the health promotion of the people they are supposed to be helping, then rather than pay exhorbitant salaries to questionably competent management and employees, they could buy back the liquor licence for the Todd Tavern and turn the building into a holistic health services centre.

This idea was first proposed by Barbara Curr well over a decade ago and has more recently been endorsed by Meredith Campbell so it’s not a new idea…it’s just one that should be implemented!!!

Time to get real. I’ve been in Alice Springs 17 years (next Thursday is my Alice-versary) and the increasing isssue of alcohol abuse with concommitant domestic violence etc. has seen that the progress towards better health outcomes has failed dismally. The senior management of Congress have been in those positions for at least 15 of those years. That’s an awful long time to achieve negative outcomes.

The buy-back investment would see a health centre established that focuses on better outcomes…and the sad plight of those who were seen on the ABC Lateline program last week could begin to be addressed. The property could easily be established as headspace Central with outsourcing of spaces to be rented by complimentary health service providers in this town to provide services to those outside the headspace cohort (12-26 year olds).

Time for CAAC (a shareholder in Centrecorp) to put it’s money where its mouth is. If Centrecorp can afford to buy K-Mart, they can afford to buy the Todd Tavern. And no…it’s not ‘the governments job’…it’s yours!!! Pay your share.

The spirit is inside each of us…not in a bottle.

Over to you, Congress.

Phil Walcott
IndependeNT Candidate for Greatorex
Alice Springs
www.philwalcott.com.au

The power of the people has the vote!!! People, not parties are the victors here. Congratulations to The Greens for their first ever House of Representatives seat and, in combination with Independent members will hold the balance of power in The Senate. Congratulations to young 20 year old Wyatt Roy for not only voting for the first time but also winning his seat in Queensland!!! Our youth are our future!!!

A win all round for democracy and the people of Australia!!! In Lingiari (my electorate in the Northern Territory), the incumbent ALP member, Warren Snowdon, lost significant ground (14% swing against) while the Independent, Deirdre Finter, is leading the other independent candidates.

Mr Acting Deputy Speaker, I also rise tonight to adjourn on the importance of our job here in parliament and how what we do here impacts on the lives of Territorians. I was absolutely astounded to listen to the outburst from the member for Greatorex yesterday during the debate about the Territory’s construction industry. It makes me wonder how serious the member for Greatorex is about his job and how long he is going to stick at it.

I thought he might have used the opportunity yesterday to highlight some of the great projects being undertaken by the construction industry in Central Australia including projects such as the building of the new Alice Springs accommodation park by Sitzler Bros; the building of the new school facilities such as the new OLSH hall in his electorate of Greatorex; Probuild’s involvement in the new aquatic centre; the new houses being built on town camps that are providing for local contractors; or the close to 300 dwellings that are all being privately developed in Alice Springs that have been approved by the Development Consent Authority.

Instead we heard the extraordinary admissions from the member for Greatorex about how he much resents being here in parliament. He would much rather be spending time with his family or out bush enjoying the scenery.

I do not enjoy much being away from my family for extended periods of time either but it is what we sign up for when we get elected to represent the people of the Northern Territory. As I said it is what you sign up for whether you are in government or in opposition.

We sit in this House for 38 days a year. That is not a hugely onerous demand when you look at it but the work we do here is very important. It affects the lives of Territorians and we all have a vital role to play in representing our constituents and the regions here in parliament where the big decisions are made. It is extraordinary to say that just because you are in opposition you are wasting your time being here. The member for Greatorex yesterday said he had had a gutful and he despised being here. I hope this is something that he is going to tell his constituents in Greatorex. I hope he is also going to tell them how long he is going to stick at the job he despises.

The member for Greatorex is often missing in action when it comes to Central Australia and it is supposed to be his shadow portfolio. Nothing said from this member during the budget debate about Central Australia and not one question during estimates about Central Australian issues or the portfolio.

Now the admission that parliament is a waste of time. I know that he has a safe seat and that he takes this for granted but the only time this member is wasting is the time of the people of Greatorex who deserve better.

Sir,

I was delighted to read Kieran Finnane’s story in your July 1st edition about the success of the Ingkerrke operation. A focus on independence, participating in the real commercial world and developing real skills to assist in growing our extensive community are all sensational outcomes. I was particularly impressed by the fact that the organisation does not rely on grants or subsidies…a true aspect of independence.

It is clearly this ‘culture of dependence’ that has thwarted the real progress of many people over the past half century. People who learned to rely on ‘government give-aways’ and lost their sense of pride, spirit and culture as a result. That’s across the board in every town, city and region around Australia. People under 50 who have grown up believing that they don’t have to contribute positively to their community or society at any level and every two weeks the government hands them money in any case!!

What have some people been learning here? To become dependent, avoid responsibility for our their actions, rely on ’someone else’ to do the work, disrespect others in our community by stealing, destroying, assaulting or otherwise ‘taking’ without any sense of ‘giving’. Impoverished souls who have learned to ‘fill themselves with spirit’ (of the alcohol variety) to survive. Young people growing up in that environment learning from their surroundings that life like that is ‘normal’ so they grow up to inflict on others what was inflicted on them. Well…times are changing for the better.

I clearly look forward to witnessing the on-going growth and success of Ingkerrke and hope that more organisations build upon that model so that, as a ‘whole-of-community’, we see Alice Springs and Central Australia thrive long into the future.

To Scott McConnell and his tremendous team…Alice salutes you!

Phil Walcott
IndependeNT Candidate for Greatorex
www.philwalcott.com.au
Alice Springs.

Formerly from Sydney and now an Alice Springs resident for 17 years, Phil works professionally as a psychologist in private practice as well as being involved in the tourism industry across Alice Springs, Central Australia and the NT. He created the first gay and lesbian specific B&B in Alice Springs in 1999. After over a decade of success with that venture, he is now focused on building a new home with his partner of 9 years, Glenn, growing his private practice (including being the first Central Australian ‘flying psychologist’ with the Royal Flying Doctor Service) and building his political profile with his aim of being elected on 25th August, 2012.

Hopefully, people will look beyond ‘the party machines’ and vote for others outside the party structure. One of these is Deirdre Finter, an IndependeNT candidate for Lingiari who has a sound ‘coal-face’ knowledge of Aboriginal issues across communities in the NT as well as issues for the cultural mixes in the major towns of Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and capital city of Darwin.

It’s about the person; not the party!! Party politics contain a representative’s ability to adequately represent their constituency in an impartial manner. Voters need to determine the strength and credibility of each of the candidates on offer. There are at least three parties contesting these elections along with several individuals standing as Independent candidates.

Singer, songwriter, tremendous achiever and proud parent Warren H. Williams is a traditional Aboriginal man with a huge history and significant place in the hearts, minds and spirit of many Centralians and Top-Enders. He is a Senate candidate who would bring a new lease of life to the House of Review.

For all of you who have recently turned 18 (or will by 21st August) you only have this coming Monday to check with your local electoral commission and make sure you’re enrolled to vote. Being 18 brings with it rights and responsibilities. We are so very fortunate that we live in a democracy where our opinions are valued and our positions considered. Being able to vote in an election is one such responsibility we should always consider a right and a privilege.

Congratulations, brother…it’s a joy to be associated with you at so many levels.