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key indigenous australian issues
| home | news lOfficials discuss Aborigine abuse By Phil Mercer Representatives from Australia's state and federal governments are meeting to discuss ways to tackle violence and abuse in Aboriginal communities. Their meeting follows the release of a report detailing horrific stories of child rape and abuse of women. The Canberra talks will also consider measures to combat chronic economic and social disadvantage. Australia's political leaders face enormous challenges to address indigenous disadvantage. Aborigines die on average 17 years younger than their white counterparts. The reasons why are many and varied. Over the years successive state and federal governments have grappled with this difficult issue. Shocking report Millions of dollars have been spent, but Aborigines remain by far the poorest group in the country. They suffer very high rates of unemployment and preventable disease. Poverty and alcohol abuse have also blighted countless lives. The recent report, by a crown prosecutor, highlighted shocking cases of child rape and domestic violence in some townships in the Northern Territory. Officials at Wadeye, an isolated settlement south-west of Darwin, are considering plans to send hundreds of residents to special camps to escape mounting gang violence. There have also been calls for the army to be deployed to restore calm. There has been disagreement over what needs to be done at Wadeye. The Northern Territory government believes that poor housing is the biggest problem. Federal authorities, however, have insisted that law and order are the most pressing concerns. Source: BBC
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its one year on from the Australian Governments controversial intervention into NT Indigenous communities
action Roll back, listen to Indigenous community voices speaking about the intervention |
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