Australian Aborigine plan 'racist'

Asia-Pacific

Australian Aborigine plan 'racist'

Critics condemn move to ban alcohol and pornography from indigineous communties.

Last Modified: 22 Jun 2007 08:18 GMT

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Howard said the measures were necessary to
protect children from sexual abuse [AP]

An Australian government plan to ban alcohol and pornography in Aboriginal communities to tackle child abuse has been criticised as "racist".

John Howard, the Australian prime minister, announced that the federal government would take control of indigineous communities in the Northern Territories after a report detailed widespread sexual abuse.

Michael Mansell, the director of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, condemned the plans for singling out Aborigines.

"It would be different if his social behaviour strategy applied to everyone in Australia, but it doesn't, making his policies racist," he said.

"This is a racist attack on the weak and an immoral abuse of power, amounting to nothing more than political vote scoring."

The opposition Australian Democrats said Howard's plan could breach racial discrimination laws, as they apply to Aboriginal communities but not to white Australians in other towns in the Northern Territory.

Child care

Howard has defended the measures saying the old approach of leaving problems to local authorities had "demonstrably failed" and governments had been too timid to intervene because of accusations of paternalism.

"The Howard plan is selective, cynical and racist"

Bob Brown, Australian Greens leader

"Frankly, the care and protection of children is more important to me than slavishly following some philosophy or doctrine," Howard told Australian radio.

"In the end, if you can't protect children, you've failed.

"It has got nothing to do with race; it's got everything to do with responsibility of the parents," he said.

But many opponents have questioned his government's motives.

Bob Brown, the leader of the Australian Greens, said that the Howard government had neglected Aboriginal health for 11 years and decided to act only in the lead-up to a national election.

"The Howard plan is selective, cynical and racist," he said.

As well as banning alcohol and hardcore pornography, the government plans to ensure welfare payments are not spent on alcohol and carry out health check on indigenous children.

Long-term support

Tom Calma, Australia's indigenous social justice commissioner, said the intervention would not solve the problem without other long-term support measures.

"Cleaning up houses and cutting off grog is not going to solve the problem," he told Australian radio, adding that problems of alcohol and violence needed more than a law-and-order response.

Many Aboriginal communities already ban alcohol, but people overcome the restrictions by visiting bigger local towns to buy and drink alcohol, before returning home.

Australia's police union expressed reservations about its members being expected to clean up indigenous communities without clearly defined goals and strategies.

"The ill-defined proposal to place interstate police into Northern Territory communities fails to recognise the realities facing every Australian police force," Mark Burgess, Police Federation of Australia chief executive, said.

Source:

Agencies

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