Jerk of the Week: Jenny Macklin
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?
- Where was the Community Consultation?
- 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?
- 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?
- First Australians have considerably less spent on them than the rest of us already – this is a cost saving measure.
- It’s racist – there you go, I said it.
- Where do you think the problems are? In the towns or the remote communities?
- Contrary to the spin, it will mean a reduction in the numbers of schools and clinics available to First Australians
- It’s paternalistic and assimilationist
- 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
