Stop the attacks on ATSIC
The federal government has been busy preparing the ground for another round of attacks on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), and Aboriginal people in general.
Recent new allegations of rorting — Aboriginal affairs minister John Herron stated that ATSIC had been funding Aboriginal organisations which had refused to open their books for scrutiny — were met with perplexed denials from ATSIC leaders. They said that no organisation had refused to open its books for ATSIC, the Registrar of Aboriginal Corporations, or ATSIC's director of evaluation and audit.
The contradiction between Herron's earlier criticisms of the "excessive" cost of an $116,000 ATSIC conference held in July with the cost to taxpayers of his own "drop in" to this conference did not go unnoted, even in the establishment media.
Staying at Broome's prime holiday resort, the alleged $30,000 ministerial trip ensured very comfortable surroundings in which Herron could contemplate the next stage of his racist attacks on Aboriginal people.
Herron's criticisms of ATSIC are not intended to improve accountability and efficiency in Aboriginal welfare. Rather, they are part of the government's campaign to stifle any public outcry about the wide-ranging attacks on Aboriginal organisations and people by creating the impression that the credibility of Aboriginal organisations is dubious.
There are some valid criticisms made by Aboriginal activists that ATSIC is not as democratic or effective in improving the living standards of indigenous people as it could be. But the renewed attacks on ATSIC by Herron, Howard and their mates in and out of government are not designed to improve indigenous living conditions.
Fundamentally, they are attacks on the notion that Aboriginal people (the most disadvantaged group of people in Australia) should be given additional and special assistance to overcome the effects of more 200 years of racist discrimination.
The Coalition came to office in 1996 with a plan for the first round of attacks on ATSIC and other Aboriginal services. At that time, the Howard government proposed ATSIC funding cuts of around $4 million, accompanied by statements about "mismanagement" and rorting within Aboriginal organisations.
Not being able to prove these allegations didn't seem to worry Howard, and Herron doesn't seem to be troubled by these "technicalities" either.
In less than three years, seven ministers have been forced to resign from Howard's government after being found to have engaged in various forms of corruption, not least of all travel rorts, yet no politician is calling for a review of politician's "work" and perks.
Selective, or just plain dishonest criticisms are being made by the government to create the racist atmosphere in which it can best achieve its budget-cutting objectives.
Rather than the "equality" promoted by the racists in parliament and business, we need measures which will begin to reverse centuries of oppression of Aboriginal people. Restoring ATSIC's funding and implementing affirmative action for indigenous people in education, employment, housing and welfare services are an essential first step.