In the climate of the Northern Territory intervention, I was very please when Labor won the election and Jen became the Minister for Indigenous Affairs. She righted some wrongs and left some wrongs as they were – but at least that is better than nothing.

That was until last week’s announcement that she, along with the Northern Territory Government, was going to end funding to remote indigenous communities in the NT and create ‘regional hubs’.

I have never heard a less insightful thing in my life. Why?

1. Where was the Community Consultation?
2. Northern Aboriginals are a very different people to those from the Centre – when will you learn that you cannot have a ‘one size fits all’ approach?
3. Pat Dodson did the report that this move is based on. He’s a good bloke, but he’s from the Kimberly. There wasn’t one Territorian that could have donw the report?
4. First Australians have considerably less spent on them than the rest of us already – this is a cost saving measure.
5. It’s racist – there you go, I said it.
6. Where do you think the problems are? In the towns or the remote communities?
7. Contrary to the spin, it will mean a reduction in the numbers of schools and clinics available to First Australians
8. It’s paternalistic and assimilationist
9. I’m sure there are other reasons that those who understand this issues better than I do have

Shame, shame, shame.

Jenny Macklin, for the complete failure of understanding of your own portfolio, you are: Jerk of the Week

Once again, there are several options for Jerk of the Week.

Firstly we have Nick Tonti-Filippini in realation to this news item. The Family Court just made a very sensible decision, one that should be applauded. It allowed a 17-year-old girl to have her breasts removed so she can be more like a boy.

Then Nick chimes in:

But ethicist Nick Tonti-Filippini said mainstream medicine did not recognise hormone treatments and surgery as treatment for gender dysphoria. He said it was a psychiatric disorder qualifying under American guidelines as a psychosis because “it’s a belief out of accordance with reality”.

“What you are trying to do is make a biological reality correspond to that false belief.”

So firstly, you’re a fucking closed minded, bigoted idiot. It simply isn’t a belief out of accordance with reality and only ‘Alex’ can decided what that reality is. If someone is that determined to undergo a gender transformation, then they are pretty serious about identifying with the gender they are realigning with.

But secondly, there has been either some dishonesty on behalf of Tonti-Filippini or a problematic omission by the journalist. You see Tonti-Filippini is a well known Christian Fundamentalist. He works for (or at least has worked for) the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family – hardly experts on gender politics. He is also a founding member of the Board of Directors for Matercare Australia (link to Matercare International) – an aid organisation:

MaterCare International (MCI) is an association of Catholic Obstetricians and Gynaecologists dedicated to improving the lives and health of mothers and their children both unborn and born throughout the world, through new initiatives of service, training, research, and advocacy, in accordance with the contemporary teaching contained in the Encyclical Evangelium Vitae (the Gospel of Life of the late Pope John Paul II and reiterated in the first Encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, Deus caritas est(God is Love)).

So, let’s call a spade a spade and be clear about who we are quoting in the paper – not just selecting any only Jo Blogs that provides and an opposing voice.

Penny Wong is also a hot contender for Jerk of the Week with the revised Emissions Trading Scheme which is only just a tiny bit better than the first version and will still achieve very little.

But the winner for this week is the Victorian Police for this email warning I received yesterday:

Police will launch a four-day road-safety blitz in Melbourne’s CBD in a bid to reduce the alarming number of collisions involving cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists.

Officers will issue on-the-spot fines to anyone caught breaking the road rules.

Pedestrians who cross the road against a red light will be fined while cyclists who fail to stop at red light will be penalized $227.

The four-day crackdown starts tomorrow (Tuesday 12 May) and police will target city intersections.

Below is a list of rules that Victoria Police most commonly see cyclists breaking:

• Cyclists must not ride their bike on the footpath unless aged under 12 years old. The only exception to this is if the footpath is a designated bike path.
• Cyclists cannot ride their bike across a pedestrian crossing. To cross the road at a pedestrian crossing they must get off their bike and push it across the road.
• Cyclists must stop at red lights.
• If there is a no-through road such as Bourke Street Mall, cyclists are not allowed to enter. To enter the area cyclists are required to get off their bike and push it.
• Cyclists must wear a helmet at all times.
• Cyclists cannot ride their bike on a tram track.
• Cyclists must obey all speed limits.
• Cyclists must have a bell on their bike at all times.

Seriously, have you run out of coffee and biscuits down at the Police station and need to make a few hundred dollars. How does this initiative help anyone?

I don’t have a bell on my bike, I’ve never had a bell on my bike, I don’t have a basket on the handlebars either. This is punitive, unnecessary and not particularly helpful.

Victoria Police, you are Jerk of the Week.

Take this:

(Sorry about the lack of regularly with Jerk of the Week, I know there wasn’t one yesterday and I know that I usually do them on Wednesdays. I make no excuse and just say: It’s my blog. Deal.)