WIth the focus on Darwin’s CBD and the mall, needs in Darwin’s older Northern Suburbs have become neglected. Suburb after suburb looks run down with street and tree scapes looking pretty ordinary.

It seems that many move their residence and their interest to the newer suburbs more recently constructed, with what is left behind becoming second class.

With the passing of time, the older suburbs are looking more and more derelict. They are looking old, tired and uninviting. Street verges look awful and very few in percentage terms are kept up.

Darwin needs to be better appreciated and maintained in overall terms than is the case.

RENDER UNTO CAESAR

All non-indigenous Australians should pay land rent to Indigenous Australians from whom Australia was wrested.

The money should be paid annually, like a rate and on top of present rate payments to local government authorities. The money should go to the indigenous corporation or organisation representing the groups whose land has been re-purposed.

We increasingly recognise by statements of appreciation, the groups on whose land we squat. This rate would add sincerity of purpose and additional meaning to the words being spoken.

WHERE ARE WE GOING

In political terms, the past fortnight has left me bemused and in some sort of limbo state. The federal happenings conjure up a mind picture of political quicksand into which the government is sinking. Sinking with our political leaders, must be the perceptions held of this country by overseas observers. “Which prime minister today” is a legitimate question. So too, is asking which minister is responsible for what! In the back of everyone’s mind is the question of when the next election (general, not by-election) will be called.

It often seems that the only thing on the minds of politicans, is when the next election will take place. The country is in constant, everlasting, electoral mode.

Here in the NT, we are wrestling with the notion of being part of the ‘Boundless Possible’ equation – a catch-cry that has many Territorians in a lampooning mode. There may be lip service paid to this anomalous pair of words, but the thoughts in the heads of people would be interesting to read.

The apparent aspiration built into these words reflects on Dubai, where those words or desperately similar, were adapted before falling off the back of a truck into the NT. Mind you, the truck ride provided by consultants, cost our government 1.5 million dollars

I AM bemused.

ARE WE READY FOR STATEHOOD (2)

In comparative terms, the NT is akin to the apprentice still learning the trade from its Principal, the Australian Commonwealth. It began assuming statelike powers in 1978. Forty years later, it has had a long childhood but many would argue that it is still not beyond the age of adolescence.

It was tested for adulthood in the 1999 referendum but through its voting populace, rejected the invitation that we move to represent the need to become a fully fledged state.

It is obvious to many, both inside the Territory and by those outside looking in, that we have a lot of growing up to do. Eighty percent (80%) of our revenue comes from the Federal Government. We have massive debts based on government borrowings and our credit rating, AA2 ‘stable’ is under threat!

The NT is looking at a debt of $5.5 b Illinois over forward estimates, the equal largest projected debt the government has had. There is a forecast that this’s debt will balloon to $7.5 billion by the end of the forward estimates period.

The NT Government will incur interest repayments of $1.65 billion over the four year estimates period. That equates to $1,380,000 per day or $503,700,000 per year.

We have a population of 235,000. The debt repayment per person per day equates to $5.87 from each of us every day or $2,143.40 owed borrowers by each of us every year. That is not a good look.

And we are ready for statehood and are all grown up?

No way!!

AN IMMATURE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

The events of the past days do nothing other than to convince me of the short sighted, self-centred attitude of many politicans. ME FIRST is the way it seems to be. Talk about a mess. And what a ‘wonderful’ leadership example is being set to us all, all 25,000,000 plus, by this political horde.

Seven Prime Ministers in ten years, with PM after PM being rolled! What a wonderful example in ‘caring, sharing’ leadership is being set to our up and coming generation. And what a display of ‘democratically stable’ government we are displaying to the rest of the world. The instability and the lack of surety about our politics caused John Keys, when New Zealand Prime Michael Minister, to wonder which Australian PM he would be speaking to, if making contact.

The Federal Political happenings in Australia during the past decade confirm one rather sad truth.

The Coalition and Labor Parties are both united when it comes to putting on a display about Australian politics to the rest of the world.

The Northern Territory Government has just unveiled its new ‘logo’ to attract and retain people to come and live in the NT.

The logo is ‘Boundless Possible’
The backgrounding and colour to this imprinting is purple.
The NT Government spent $1.5 million in consultancy, study and design fees to a company to come up with this masterpiece.
This is the 4th or 5th time the NT has been ‘rebranded’

‘People will come bounding north because everything is possible’, or ‘Will people come bounding north because everything is possible?’

I wonder.

21/8/2018

WHITHER TO NT

There is a constant whinge in the Northern Territory about us not having the same rights and entitlements in legislating terms as the rest of Australia. The truth be known, the Territory is still growing up and some of the decisions that have been made are well wide of the mark.

That was NOT the case with our enlightened ‘right to die’ legislation of 1997. In my opinion that should have never been overturned by the Australian Parliament.

However in many respects we have acted injudiciously and even rashly at times.

It was probably fortuitous that in 1999, Territorians voted down the referendum seeking us to endorse the proposition that we push for statehood. We were not ready then and many would argue we are not ready now.

This piece was published in the NT Sun on August 14 2018. I believe it to be nonsense to suggest that media does not influence the thinking and the actions of young people.

MEDIA INFLUENCES YOUTH

From time to time the issue of media influence on shaping the values of young people comes up for discussion.

It is often asserted that what young people see, hear and experience has no influence on the shaping of their attitudes and values. People are scoffed at if they suggest otherwise. Researchers and others connected with empirical study assert that young people know that games are for amusement. Therefore, playing these games will have no impact upon their lives.

I believe that to be totally wrong. Many young people immerse themselves for hours on end, day after day, week after week in playing these games. Common sense suggests this has to impact on their thinking and attitudes.

Young people may become so totally absorbed in this “escape from reality“ that it becomes their reality.

While some of these amusements are quite benign, many of the more popular ones are about murder, massacre, slaughter, and macabre behaviours. It stands to reason that young people (and those who are not so young) who become totally immersed in these activities will be influenced by their addiction.

The fact that so many young people these days are “I“ and “me” people who do not think about others, may well be a result of exposure to online gaming. Lack of manners, slack, disrespectful speech, the inability to focus on real life tasks in school and elsewhere, disinclination toward real life activities all point toward cyberspace influence. The key characters in online games generally behave in a way that promotes heroism through bullying, harassment and other negative behaviour. Can we wonder at this bravado and these attitudes rubbing off on the impressionable minds of youthful gamers?

Common sense suggests that the antisocial behaviour of many young people has its genesis in their indulgent online activities. When cyberspace completely absorbs the minds and the attention of users, something has to give!

One of the most recent games is “fortnite”, which focuses on extremely negative social behaviour. Game changes and modifications always seem to focus on negatives, rather than social decency.

I believe it imperative for parents to be aware of the online games their children are playing. They would be wise to monitor the classification of these activities and the length of time spent in online indulgence.

Without doubt, the games children play impacts on their thinking, attitudes and behaviour. That can have negative consequences. It may result in them making poor decisions that impact upon their lives and their futures.

‘CRIME DOES NOT PAY’

So was the advice in the movie ‘Fortress’.

Seems that in the NT, that particular precaution for potential sinners does not apply. In fact, quite the opposite.

Crime against people and property in the NT is rampant. The punishment, especially for young offenders, is minimal, extremely minimal!

Unfortunately the deterrence consequences have been so watered down by recent Royal Commission and inquiry outcomes that vandals and others who wreak damage and havoc are basically home free. This has a deleterious, morale sapping impact on business and homeowners.

It is hard to talk ‘respect’ to those for whom respect is foreign. ‘Talk to and with them and change their attitudes’ is the advice of the theory specialists. That does not work.

Night after night after night, the nocturnal raiders are out and about wreaking damage and creating mayhem. Next day after next day, business owners and premises occupiers are left to try and patch the damage.

We can all look forward to more of the same level and degree of nefarious conduct. This group sets the night time agenda around the Territory. It’s the next day the rest of us wake up and start addressing these issues. And all the while, those responsible sleep, and get ready for the next sortie tonight.

11/8/2018

Fact: Tens of thousands of Australians LOVE gambling and nothing will stop them from feeding their habit. Money spent on educatrion is largely wasted money because the messages about gambling consequences fall on deaf ears.