October 13, 2004
MORE ELECTION WHINING
Dr Kevin McDonald lectures in sociology at the University of Melbourne, and lectures readers of the Melbourne Age:
In May 2000, more than a quarter of a million people marched for reconciliation across Sydney Harbour Bridge. Yet four years later there was not a trace of Aboriginal issues in the election campaign, despite the fact that Aborigines remain the most imprisoned people in the world and that while countries such as New Zealand, Canada and the US are making progress in indigenous life expectancy, this is not happening in Australia.
More than quarter of a million people? Looks like the Pilger Curve has kicked in here. Not a trace of Aboriginal issues in the campaign? Somebody better tell Mark Latham that his speeches weren’t reaching the sociology-imbecile demographic. And as for Canada, well, any number of McDonald-esque do-goodniks will tell you it’s just as bad as Australia ...
Posted by Tim Blair at October 13, 2004 01:46 PMCanadian officials and police are failing to protect aboriginal women from violent attacks and ignoring the acts when they occur, according to a report from Amnesty International.
The report harshly condemns Canada's "indifference and apathy" toward native women, particularly those who end up in the margins of society, such as sex trade workers.
Aboriginal women aged 25-44 are five times more likely than other Canadian women of the same age to die of violence, said the report. More than 500 aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered over the last 30 years.
McDonald doesn't note or praise the rise of Andrea Mason. Guess she's just a right wing Abo.
Posted by: C.L. at October 13, 2004 at 01:51 PMOnly recently did left wing journalists start reporting the reality of Aboriginal female abuse by their men in Australia.They justified their silence by claiming the greater evil was racism and if they were truthful about this issue,white people would be less sympathetic to a Land Rights,seperatist agenda.
Tell that to the poor unfortunates who were abused.
Issues come on and off the political radar in this way all the time.
Wasn't it only a couple of years ago that we had a referendum on the republic issue in Australia? It wasn't some 150 000 or 250 000 people involved, it was the whole country. That issue hasn't disappeared but it has dropped off the political radar of the major parties.
It seems much the same with the aboriginal imprisonment (his words, not mine) issue. Anyways, without a strong economy nothing could be done to help indigenous people financially at all.
Posted by: Dylan at October 13, 2004 at 02:39 PM"The sociology-imbecile demographic".
I'm glad I wasn't eating or drinking when I read that!
Posted by: EvilPundit at October 13, 2004 at 03:07 PMExactly C.L.
Andrea Mason illustrates the usual leftist conumdrums.
We need more women in Parliament, We need more Aboriginal representatives, just as long as they are not christian.
I imagine the first female, Aboriginal, Wiccan politician will have the left creaming themselves.
Posted by: nic at October 13, 2004 at 03:12 PMAndrea Mason will be like Condie Rice - the left will want to tear into her but will be hobbled by their own PC
Posted by: graboy at October 13, 2004 at 04:19 PMReconciliation march? Well, anyone can march and wave flags (see Nuremberg).
As a Canadian, I can tell you that our Native population is simultaneously still one of the most marginalized, but one of the most un-PC. Quebec tribes have opened up private MRI clinics because they don't have to prostrate before our zero-tier public health care deities (what kind of a country worships a social program?!).
It's exactly these groups that are so fed up with being treated like babies that are gonna make the Left squirm for years to come as they do things their own way, without the "benevolence" of socialist patronizing.
Posted by: Kelvin at October 13, 2004 at 05:22 PMEighteen pages on the election in the Bulletin, including one page from Tim Blair. Care to tell us how many times the word "Iraq" occurs? Hint: the answer rhymes with "Nero".
Posted by: Tim Lambert at October 13, 2004 at 05:45 PMAs Kelvin notes, the PC of North America use the Indigenous/Aboriginal/First Nations cause to prove their holier-than-thou credibility.
But the French of Quebec totally exploit the Cree Indians' hydro-electric power, selling it on to us Yanks in Upstate New York for a big mark-up.
I feel tremendous guilt here enjoying my computer. I hope a kid from Toronto totally crosschecks some Montrealer in the mouth in a hockey game tonight.
Quebecuers are merely Frenchmen writ small. And that's not a compliment.
Posted by: JDB at October 13, 2004 at 05:59 PMMore than 500 aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered over the last 30 years.
Maybe they went native and blended in with the majority population, who knows advancing themselves.
Posted by: Ron Hardin at October 13, 2004 at 08:17 PMEURONEWS thinks that Australia is not ready for
"reconciliation with its indigenous Aboriginal minority."
I imagine the first female, Aboriginal, Wiccan politician will have the left creaming themselves.
If she's a Liberal, they'll be killing themselves.
The first woman Prime Minister of the UK was a conservative. The Right just keeps on trashing the stereotypes of the Left.
Posted by: EvilPundit at October 13, 2004 at 10:48 PM"well, any number of McDonald-esque do-goodniks will tell you it’s just as bad as Australia ..."
So the situation is bad in Australia, Tim?
Posted by: Tom at October 13, 2004 at 11:12 PMSo the situation is bad in Australia, Tim?
If you're a McDonald-esque do-goodnik, obviously yes. Your point was?
Posted by: PW at October 14, 2004 at 01:33 AMHey c'mon!
Let's get into Canada bashing here!
Based on a report from Amnesty fricken' International for crissakes!
Roundhead.
Posted by: Roundhead at October 14, 2004 at 03:48 AMNZ making progress with its indigenous population, the Maori? Stop the press! This is from NZ's largest newspaper, the NZ Herald, quoting a report:
"Gaps have been widening recently between Maori and non-Maori in both life expectancy and health status, and there are large differences in health between those in advantaged material circumstances and those in deprived conditions," Mr Fougere said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyID=3599665
Posted by: Berend de Boer at October 14, 2004 at 06:27 AMFunny you say that, EvilPundit. The first woman MP was Enid Lyons, for the conservative ALP.
The first federal Aboriginal parliamentarian was the Liberal party Senator Neville Bonner.
Posted by: Quentin George at October 14, 2004 at 07:18 AM