Policies > Indigenous Australians

 

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (ATSIA) have the lowest life expectancy, health, education levels and overall standard of living compared to the rest of the Australian population. The symbolic apology by the Australian government in 2008 was a good start, but has not lead to real change to the people who need it.

 

Over the past half century, Australia has tried the two extremes on Aboriginal policy. The first was to make the black people assimilate into our culture (make them integrate into mainstream society at the expense of their traditions and culture). The other extreme is to let them live in isolated communities and live how they like with little or no access to modern medicine and comforts and few opportunities for entering the workforce due to a lack of education.

 

The problem came down to a choice between access to a modern western lifestyle where they sacrifice their traditional way of life or they remain in their ancient culture at the expense of the health benefits and education available in the 21^st century.

 

 

The answer to most problems is in the middle of both extremes. Provide Aboriginal Australians the choice to live where they like and give them all the available benefits of a modern health and education in a western country. All the programs listed below would be fully funded by eliminating the state government’s expenses around Australia. 

 

 

Aborigines need the same standard of education as the rest of the Australian population – the same curriculum. Like many other minority groups they should be able to spend part of their time at school studying their own language and culture. These classes can be run by Aboriginal elders and leaders of the community.

 

Qualified teachers should be paid up to double their normal pay in a capital city if they choose to work in an isolated aboriginal community as a teacher.

 

 

Aboriginal people living in cities and towns with hospitals have the same access to public hospitals as anyone else. Aborigines in remote areas need to have access to a public hospital by a reliable form of transportation (e.g plane or road vehicle). Each remote Aboriginal community should have a road to it or an airstrip nearby. A number of people in each remote aboriginal community should be trained in either advanced first aid. These people should be able to speak English as well as their own native dialect. Each community should have at least one mobile phone connected to a satellite if there is no mobile phone towers nearby so they can call for urgent medical help if needed.

 

Aboriginal people living in cities and towns should have the same access to private and public housing as any other Australian. In rural and isolated places, Aboriginal people should be able to build and live in the type of housing they choose.  Those that wish to live in remote areas should be taught how to make the type of housing they want to live in by a professional builder. The builders and people that live in a remote area for a period of time, can have their housing subsidised by the Australian government.

 

A doctor or a fully qualified nurse should fly to the remote Aboriginal communities at least once each month for regular health check ups with the locals.

 

Delivery of fresh food should arrive by plane or truck to remote communities at least 3 times a month. These trips could also coincide with the doctor/nurse arriving and also transporting sick people to and from the community to town hospitals.

 

 

Aborigines should have the choice to be able to have a wide range of employment options available to them upon completing school. As much as possible there should be some form of employment in each local town so the children have an understanding of the benefits of paid work over enslaving welfare dependency.

 

The government should subsidise these places of employment until they become profitable. The level of subsidy should be similar to any other similar government subsidy e.g farming and manufacturing industries.

 

The government should not limit the ability of aboriginals to start their own economic development in their own communities as is the case of the QLD government in far north QLD.

   

 

All Australians are under the same legal system. Murder is murder and rape is rape in any corner of this continent. All people should know the difference between right and wrong.

 

Some aboriginal men and women should be in the police force in their local community, not only as a people under the authority of a national government, but the people who want a just and fair society where they live.