Ausbuy

We Have Said “Sorry”; Now How Do We Fix The Problem?

February 28th, 2008

The debate regarding saying “sorry” has gone on for the last 10 years and has finally been concluded. Frankly Ausbuy believes that it is a huge fuss about nothing unless we can come up with schemes which actually improve the lot of the indigenous people. Australians are compassionate and generous, but hate to see their money wasted - and it certainly has been wasted over the last 30 years. Continuing these policies with the word “sorry” added will not get us anywhere. We rightly criticize the apartheid regime over its system of permits and passes, yet we create our own apartheid. Did we think that locking away aboriginals in settlements behind a wall of permits would produce a system of out of sight, out of mind? Better to make them part of a growing Australia.

Over the years we have created a victim and welfare mentality which is destroying a people. Our motives may be of the best, but the results are not. It is in easy to quote figures and say what a mess the whole situation is but unless we do something to fix it saying “sorry” is meaningless. I think that we should start by examining the problems as follows:

• Cultural. By cultural we do not talk about singing, dancing or art but about the attitude to life, law and commerce. In most hunter-gatherer societies assets are considered to be communal. This lessens the incentive to achieve and build up assets which underpins a developed economy. Unless this attitude is changed it is difficult to create an entrepreneurial class who would act as a role model for young aboriginals and who would build up companies which serve as a breeding ground for aboriginals with potential.
• Are we talking about the urbanised aboriginals living in places like Redfern or are we looking at the problems of remote rural communities. The problems of Redfern are complex but do not include access to health care, education, law and order and job opportunities. The answer requires the attention of sociologists and philosophers and is outside our scope. It cannot be solved just by throwing money at the problem. When we look at the remote communities we realise that they lack the facilities of modern life. The medical care is almost nonexistent, the communities and schools lack teachers, there are few job opportunities and there is nothing to train or motivate the children to fit into modern Australia.
• Over the years various policies have been tried but none of them seem to have worked. In fact we seem to have created a victim mentality which has made the situation even worse. After all history is full of examples of more advanced societies having taken over from the original settlers. However society has now evolved further and this is no longer acceptable. Unfortunately the clock cannot be turned back and many of the people no longer have the skills to make native title claims work. They may instead get royalties, but unearned money is no substitute for money from a worthwhile job.

Talking about the difficulties of the task must not be allowed to distract us from attempting to find solutions - even if these solutions cost money. Among the actions that we would suggest are:

• Pay whatever it takes to attract health and educational professionals to work in these remote areas and provide them with the necessary facilities.
• Enforce the laws of Australia which are designed to ensure safety of person and property. Punishment for breaking these laws must be carefully tailored to avoid a repeat of the deaths in custody. Perhaps to establish prisons in local areas may help.
• Establish training establishments in aboriginal areas. There is no good sending them to study in Sydney if they do not return to their area when they finished their training. This should be supported by grants to students.
• Offer special tax treatment and subsidies to companies who set up in designated areas and as a reward insist that they employ an agreed percentage of aboriginals. Other countries have successfully carried this out. It would provide jobs and training opportunities. People would undoubtedly calculate the cost of the taxes given up and complain but would ignore that earned wages would replace welfare and the workers would pay taxes.
• Encourage creation of aboriginal based tourism which would also provide a market for art and artefacts.
• Promote bush tucker and an aboriginal based agriculture.

None of these suggested solutions are easy and they will cost money. Something must be done if “sorry” this to mean anything other than a bonanza for the legal profession as they pursue claims for compensation. There will be claims but the burden of proof and the rules of evidence must be applied rather than a feel good attitude by the judiciary. Let us spend money generously, but wisely. As a by product, Australia may well end up with a tourist industry that attracts overseas interest and have people who are currently getting welfare in tax paying employment. Let us look at it as an investment in people, not a hand out. We at Ausbuy support all measures which result in viable innovative Australian owned companies. 

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