02-07-2023, 10:10 AM
I don't think this 'Voice' will improve aboriginal lives one iota.
It will not improve indigenous education outcomes.
It will not get alcohol out of indigenous affairs.
It will not make indigenous families more stable.
It won't improve indigenous chances of getting a job.
It won't improve anything but to allow the politically active few to get higher profiles.
I can't see why people would waste their time on something like this. There are a lot of problems, but an extra talk fest isn't going to provide money, train people or anything else constructive.
There are models for the 'Voice' to look at: a number of Scandinavian states and Canada have similar things. Not one of them has actually made a significant difference for the native people involved. What they have done is try to gather more power unto themselves, so they can veto decisions made by their governments. They are trying to become another form of government for the states involved.
The ABC showed a number of these in action in 'Foreign Correspondent' episodes over the last couple of years. Not one has improved the life of the native people they supposedly represent by any measure they could show. But they have been involved in actions to stop developments, particularly of green energy sources (Norway's Sami Parliament, for example is trying to stymie government investment in the far north in the 'green energy' systems the Norwegian state is desperate to produce.)
If these are the models our indigenous people are looking at, then they are wasting a lot of time and money.
We need, as a nation, to improve the lot of our indigenous people. But I don't think this is a good way of doing it.
It will not improve indigenous education outcomes.
It will not get alcohol out of indigenous affairs.
It will not make indigenous families more stable.
It won't improve indigenous chances of getting a job.
It won't improve anything but to allow the politically active few to get higher profiles.
I can't see why people would waste their time on something like this. There are a lot of problems, but an extra talk fest isn't going to provide money, train people or anything else constructive.
There are models for the 'Voice' to look at: a number of Scandinavian states and Canada have similar things. Not one of them has actually made a significant difference for the native people involved. What they have done is try to gather more power unto themselves, so they can veto decisions made by their governments. They are trying to become another form of government for the states involved.
The ABC showed a number of these in action in 'Foreign Correspondent' episodes over the last couple of years. Not one has improved the life of the native people they supposedly represent by any measure they could show. But they have been involved in actions to stop developments, particularly of green energy sources (Norway's Sami Parliament, for example is trying to stymie government investment in the far north in the 'green energy' systems the Norwegian state is desperate to produce.)
If these are the models our indigenous people are looking at, then they are wasting a lot of time and money.
We need, as a nation, to improve the lot of our indigenous people. But I don't think this is a good way of doing it.
Live Long and Prosper!