Pilger highlights the inadequacies of ’systems’ to deal with the realities of Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians for well over a century. Power moved from ‘the people’ to ‘the bureaucracies’ and we have all learned to become ‘dependent victims’ instead of ‘independent survivors’ as a result.
Pilger’s comments, complimented by those of Nicholas Rothwell (24/10/09, 26/10/09 and 31/10/09) & Natasha Robinson (08/08/09) from The Weekend Australian, assert that the ways forward include equal jurisdictional representation of both Non-Indigenous and Indigenous peoples of this great Northern Territory. One proposal is for Darwin/Palmerston to become a ’satellite city’ (much like Singapore is in Malaysia) with the remainder of the Northern Territory to be divided in two (much like it was in the 1920’s) with Alice Springs being the regional ‘hub’ for Central Australia (to include Tennant Creek) and Katherine being the regional ‘hub’ for Northern Australia. Both hubs would work extensively with the newly determined shires with regard to rolling out health, education, housing and law governance.
All writers highlight that we are not ‘governed’ by governments but ‘controlled’ by bureaurocrats along with political ‘party’ machines. Even leaders such as Barack Obama & Kevin Rudd are dictated to by ‘the machine’ which is more interested in power & control than people & democracy.
There is much to be researched here and so much to be learned for all of us.
Imagine – a NT jurisdiction that is equally ‘governed’ by both Indigenous and Anglo-Australian/European/Islander heritage in a communal setting that does not keep people ‘dependent’ on alcohol misuse fuelling domestic violence, physical and sexual abuse and other negative behaviours. Instead, a community that thrives on independence, growth, maturity, satisfaction and wealth. It’s all possible – provided we can all choose to change the way we think and focus on positive outcomes rather than negative consequences.
Imagine too – a totally re-structured public service with the ‘fat cat’ middle managements removed so that senior management teams and operational staff could communicate directly. Government agencies that finally ’serve the public’ rather than self-serving the bureaucracy!!
Phil The Gap.
Alice Springs
