Not for a moment am I against the advancement and enhancing of indigenous Australians. I worked in aboriginal communities in both Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and undertook studies to fine tune my cross cultural understandings.

It is against this background of work, study and observation that I find myself increasingly concerned about ideologies that lead toward separation rather than togetherness of cultural groups.

Land rights and title conferral have given exclusive land ownership to an increasing number of indigenous groups. Juxtapositionally that locks more and more non-aboriginal people out in access terms. Permits have to be acquired and other considerations taken into account by non-aboriginal people before they can access larger and larger percentages of Australia’s land mass.

Increasingly, the impression is given that Australia does not belong to us all.

Again I acknowledge the consideration needs to be given to elevating indigenous Australians. But there is rather strange thing that seems to be unfolding. There are more and more social, sporting, academic, and developmental opportunities being offered to aboriginal people, which exclude those who are not indigenous. Aboriginal people are invited to be a part and parcel of all organisations and groups to which other people be long but the reverse is about exclusivity.

It seems to me that for indigenous Australians, “rights“ are to the fore but “responsibility” is downplayed.

EVER HEARD OF THE NT TOP END EISTEDDFOD?

It is interesting that anything to do with sport and recreation draws much more enthusiastic government response to funding requests, than any other aspect of life. In particular, arts and culture can sometimes suffer.

The NT Top End Eisteddfod, which ran for 49 years is an example. The program promoted music, artistic expression, dance and many other forms of development. Children and adults, but particularly children from all over the Top End of the NT took part in this program. It lead to the building of confidence and skill, with many going on to great things in their futures.

There were tens of thousands of participants over the years. The program, supported by a volunteer committee, ran for close to a fortnight every year and exposed the brilliance of performers, particularly our young people.

The program lacked for funding guarantees and in the end, half a dozen years ago, finally fell into history. Ask Darwinians and Palmerstonians, those in the rural area, across Arnhem Land and as far south as Katherine and the Rivers District about the program now: They will say ‘what Eisteddfod?’

Every effort the committee made to gain regular and committed funding from the government, the City of Darwin Council essentially failed.

The NT Education Department offered some support and in the end provided administrative assistance.  However, that alone was not enough.

Recent attempts by some stalwarts to revive the program have been rebuffed. A year shy of its half century and six years past its last stanza on stage, the NT Top End Eisteddfod is dead in the water!  What a pity it wasn’t a sporting event.

SHARE PROS AND CONS ABOUT NT

One of the things are negatively impacting upon the Northern Territory is our declining population and and its impact on both revenue raising and GST contributions from the Commonwealth.

For every departing Northern Territorian to Southern Climes or overseas there is a loss of several thousand dollars in GST revenue.

To this end the Northern Territory recently commissioned a firm to create a logo and accompanying materials aiming to sell the Northern Territory through public relations outreach.

“Boundless Possible” came into vogue along with a lot of hyperbole and hype. Monetary inducements have been dangled in order to try and attract people who meet particular classifications or who have particular characteristics, to the NT.

A romantic, ‘utopiancentric’ picture of the NT is being painted. This vision does not include many of the drawbacks and challenges to Territory life. These drawbacks are realities and people contemplating moving to the Territory deserve a full picture of awareness.

The ‘Boundless Possible’ advertisement promoting the NT during the AFL Grand Final on September 29 2018 showed the positives of the NT. That is great, but representative balance is important. Showing the Territory not in part but as a whole is overlooked. Promotions tell only part of the story.

The realities need to be told, rather than discovered. Their ‘discovery’ will only lead to disappointment and a belief they have been sold a pup.

NT HAS A VERY BALANCED LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

The constant talk about the need for gender balance in parliament gets to the point of being constant, ion terms of day after day after day.
It gets to be repetitious and boring. Is there no other issue?!

Consider the NT Assembly.
There are 25 seats in the NT Assembly.
12 seats are held by women.
13 seats are held by men.
2 of the seats are held by Indigenous women.
3 seats are held by Indigenous men.

The ALP is the majority party holding 18 seats.
The CLP, the official opposition, hold two seats.
There are five independent members of our Assembly.

Within the ALP Government Cabinet:

6 cabinet ministers are women, one of whole is the Deputy Chief Minister.
3 cabinet ministers are men, one of whom is the Chief Minister.
1 cabinet member is an Indigenous woman.
1 cabinet member is an Indigenous man.
The speaker is a woman, who is an independent.

NOW WHERE WOULD YOU GET A PARLIAMENT WITH A BETTER BALANCE?

ALCOHOL STIMULATES INTRA-TERRITORY MOVEMENT

Many remote communities in the NT have evoked ‘dry’ status. This status is conferred by the NT Liquor Commission after application by communities for this consideration.

Alcohol cannot be sold or consumed in dry communities. There are heavy penalties for those caught breaching the law of prohibition with dry communities. These penalties can include hefty fines, jail terms and the forfeiture of funds gained from illicit sales. The forfeiture of the vehicle or boat used in transporting alcohol to dry communities is generally ordered by the court.

The issue of ‘dryness’ impacts upon community residents who would prefer to have alcohol at home. Those who want but cannot access alcohol, often leave home abd move to places without this restriction.

To this end, many drinkers finish up in Darwin, Palmerston or Alice Springs. There they become itinerants who are classed as being ‘homeless’ and who generally live out in the open. They are called ‘long grassers’.  [They are not homeless in the sense that they have left home to go travelling.]

These persons often have a detrimental impact upon places to which they move, particularly shopping centres and around other facilities where they set up camp. It is held that some contribute to the spike in property crime in our urban centres. There is begging, urination and defacation in public places. The behaviour of some members of these groups is impaired by alcohol. Members of this group are often supported by charities with essentials, including food, being handed out. For some, this largese leaves more money for alcohol.

This is an aspect of the NT about which much is known but about which little is done. There is plenty of talk about correcting the issues but little us done and few changes are made.

THE ISSUE OF ALCOHOL IN THE NT

One has to be very circumspect when discussing this subject in the NT because without intention conversation can be interpreted as racist.

In all states, the minimum selling price of alcohol is not mandated by government. In the NT from October 1, it will be mandated.

In the NT, bottle shops are monitored by police auxiliaries, who are trained to disallow entry for people on the banned drinkers register. This policing happens in Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Katherine. Training for these auxiliaries is being staged, to reach a final specialist group of 92 people.

In all states people over the age of 18 do not have to identify themselves other than being required to confirm they are of age to drink alcohol. In the NT, all residents and visitors have to produce a drivers licence or identifying document that is scanned before they can purchase alcohol. If they are confirmed as not being banned drinkers, they can go ahead and purchase alcohol.

These regulations and limitations are in place for everyone. The injudicious behaviour of a minority, impacts on everyone.

This is at a significant cost to the NT, both monetarily and for the perceptions created for visitors.

BE CIRCUMSPECT WHEN USING EMAILS

The Justin Milne resignation reminds me of just how dangerous written communication, especially email communication, can be. Once written and sent, retrieval of this express written word is impossible. It is out there forever and can come back to impact days, weeks, months, years and even decades later.

Everyone is encouraged to send emails about everything these days and that is often unwise.

Emails can be written and sent at any time of the day or night. This can happen when people are dead tired, less than sober, in the heat of anger and at other in opportune times.

I often preferred phone conversations to emailed replies. Written words can be misconstrued, their intention misinterpreted, or can be forwarded on by recipients to people for whom they were not intended.

There is a place for emails but care in their usage is important and often insufficiently considered by senders. Careless use of the ‘send’ button can exacerbate (inflame) situations if the message is inadvertently sent to the wrong receiver.

Emails may seem to be a simple and easy communications tool to use. However they can be on too many occasions, fraught with unintended consequences for senders.

ADDICTED TO AND CAPTIVE OF TECHNOLOGY

We are addicted to and captured by technology. Technology has become the master and we are increasing its slaves.

BAGGING BABY BOOMERS

It annoys me greatly that all baby boomers are tagged with being less than productive, people who grew up through life with no thought for the future and a generation now prepared to leach off the sweat of those who are contributing their taxes to baby boomer pensions.

In my case and for others I know who ARE boomers, this is unfair labelling and I must respond. The use of ‘baby boomer’ as a label with negative intent is unfair and unjust.

I was born in February 1946 so am one of the oldest boomers. When I retired it was on superannuation not on a pension. I had super from the mid 1970’s and built it up over time. I remain in that context.

And yes, I saved and always lived and will continue to live, as an OLD boomer, self sufficiently. There are many baby boomers of the same ilk, people who worked hard, paid their way, saved and during their wage earning years, supported the country through the taxes they paid.

And all this in large part during an era when superannuation schemes were still being developed.

So please, don’t generalise. My hands are not on the throats of the young who are paying taxes as they are NOT keeping me. Indeed, I am still levied tax and contribute to the welfare system supporting many nowhere near my age.

ARE WE ON A DOWNWARD SPIRAL? SADLY, YES

On March 11 1993, at a conference conducted by Professor Andy Hergreave, participants were asked to write what they thought was a realistic futures prognostication. We were seated 10 to a table. We were asked to table our statements. If a tables statement was agreed to by another person at the table, she or he was asked to place their statement on top of the tabled comment. If not, they were to put their statement at a different place on the table. Statements were upturned to be read by everyone.

I wrote my thought and placed it on the table. One by one, all group members read what I had written. They moved their statements to sit on top of mine. The feeling at the table was unanimous.

My statement read as follows.

The simplicity of the world in past times has been enhanced and disadvantaged by modernism.

The more the knowledge, the greater the pace.
The greater the pace, the less the concern for individuals.

The faster we go, the more sophisticated we become and the broker we get.
We are increasingly bankrupted in personal, social and economic terms.

This downward spiral may temporarily halt but will never correct.

Twenty five years later, I feel my ‘forecast’ is still on the money.