tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.comments2024-03-01T22:22:36.595+11:00A Walking Shadow: Observations on Indigenous public policy and institutional transparencyMichael Dillonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01765129714993581347noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-64632291231847352372023-10-24T21:29:10.163+11:002023-10-24T21:29:10.163+11:00Thanks Mike. It's all very well to analyse how...Thanks Mike. It's all very well to analyse how the govt ran their case in support of the Voice, but let us never forget those who ran a smear campaign of lies and misinformation and utter contempt for any truth. Their prejudices are unforgiveable. And the consequences of the misinformation and disinformation campaign will have much wider consequences in many other areas of public policy for a long time to come. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-243689276039658052023-10-08T21:11:58.668+11:002023-10-08T21:11:58.668+11:00Thanks Mike. I was unable to make the CAEPR semina...Thanks Mike. I was unable to make the CAEPR seminar as i had other commitments. This is a great summary, and very helpful. Thank you. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-76940864001854609072023-09-22T21:03:05.791+10:002023-09-22T21:03:05.791+10:00"Your blog brilliantly dissects the crucial t..."Your blog brilliantly dissects the crucial topic of statutory compliance. It's evident that non-compliance is not an option, but a legal necessity. Your insights shed light on the importance of adhering to these obligations for businesses and individuals alike. Well-researched and informative read!"<br /><a href="https://www.allsectech.com/labour-law-consultants/" rel="nofollow">Statutory Compliance</a>payrollexperts35https://www.blogger.com/profile/01507833659564772122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-77397910043900274152023-09-01T11:02:59.021+10:002023-09-01T11:02:59.021+10:00In the introduction to his important CAEPR discuss...In the introduction to his important CAEPR discussion paper 142/1997 titled 'The explosion of aboriginality' the late Alan Gray a prescient demographer noted the following: 'Australia is more than 200 years into a process at the end of which virtually every Australian will be a descendent of the indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander inhabitants of the continent, whether they are aware of it or not and proclaim it or not'. Alan may have slightly under-estimated the demographic impacts of immigration in the 26 years since that publication and statement analysing rapid intercensal Indigenous population growth between 1991 and 1996. Nevertheless, his observation is of relevance to the comment above and to Mike's critique of the 2023 Intergenerational Report that should have paid greater attention especially in the year of the voice to the Indigenous 'driving growth momentum'.Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-11210466576194882052023-09-01T10:27:20.800+10:002023-09-01T10:27:20.800+10:00Perhaps pertinent to note that, if Indigenous popu...Perhaps pertinent to note that, if Indigenous population growth rates over the last 25 years continue for the next 40 years, then the Indigenous population in 2061 will be 5.7 million, or about 15% of the IGR's projected population of 38.8 million.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-26321851616293015622023-08-18T19:28:13.839+10:002023-08-18T19:28:13.839+10:00The last pàra says it all,it spells out a voiceThe last pàra says it all,it spells out a voiceJimbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-90488597975899504382023-07-28T21:25:24.010+10:002023-07-28T21:25:24.010+10:00Good points, Michael, as always. Good points, Michael, as always. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-16728336969522859282023-07-12T15:38:40.148+10:002023-07-12T15:38:40.148+10:00Thanks Mike for such detailed analysis and powerfu...Thanks Mike for such detailed analysis and powerful insights. Greatly appreciated. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-71610658348113820042023-07-11T12:50:43.222+10:002023-07-11T12:50:43.222+10:00Thanks for this insightful and tough critique of t...Thanks for this insightful and tough critique of the report of the Inquiry into Community Safety and in particular its commentary on recent developments in alcohol regulation in the NT. I can only agree with you that the Committee seems bent on downplaying the role of alcohol in community safety, (or rather its absence), and in antisocial behaviour, in favour of an emphasis on socio-economic factors, trauma etc. Such an avoidance strongly suggests that the liquor industry (which ideologically objects to regulation) continues to exert influence on governments, as well indicating an unwillingness to frankly acknowledge the persistence of patterns of heavy drinking facilitated by easy access to alcohol. Maggie Bradynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-84855800794257313932023-06-08T12:51:22.336+10:002023-06-08T12:51:22.336+10:00This is great to see Mike! CLC has always seemed t...This is great to see Mike! CLC has always seemed to me to be a very well run organisation. Nice that the ANAO confirms this.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-68481743873527417242023-05-23T08:46:58.682+10:002023-05-23T08:46:58.682+10:00NIce point MIke - thanks for drawing that out for ...NIce point MIke - thanks for drawing that out for attention!Janet Huntnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-90134528756504697302023-05-22T22:59:29.451+10:002023-05-22T22:59:29.451+10:00A very astute observation Mike. And in particular ...A very astute observation Mike. And in particular about para 471's <br /> relevance to the CtG Implementation Plans. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-85049740284775534202023-04-24T21:29:05.161+10:002023-04-24T21:29:05.161+10:00very true Mike.very true Mike.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-76375184273652599092023-04-24T21:01:04.436+10:002023-04-24T21:01:04.436+10:00Thanks Mike, some profound thoughts. Ed Thanks Mike, some profound thoughts. Ed Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-54106520014163040212023-02-19T10:21:11.044+11:002023-02-19T10:21:11.044+11:00Terrific post Mike hope you turn into a submission...Terrific post Mike hope you turn into a submission to DCCEEW<br />BTW all submissions are published or at least were from the first round<br /><br />Just as an aside, it is noteworthy that the clever officials that dreamt up the name Nature Repair Market Bill might have intentionally or unintentionally known that it would be shortened to NRM Bill with NRM being the longstanding acronym for 'natural resource management'. If it becomes law it will be abbreviated to NRMA another longstanding acronym associated more with the generation of greenhouse gases than their abatement or management.<br /><br />More seriously, like you I am concerned about ranger group capacity to deliver, rangers are not trained and do not develop requisite skills for complex biodiversity conservation and fire management work overnight. There is a risk that two things in Indigenous policy that are working well, the IPA program and usually associated Indigenous carbon projects will be undermined by these new arrangements. <br /><br />I note that since May 2022 many Albanese government responses to policy reviews acknowledge the need for free prior and informed consent on First Nations lands and the need for properly resourced prescribed bodies corporate with the former requiring far more adequate resourcing and institutional strengthening for the latter. But to date no substantive progress, rhetoric aside, one either front. <br /><br />A minor quibble, the terrestrial estate over which native title rights and interests can be exercised in some way is now over 4 million sq kms or more than half the continent. This is a fact that just needs to be front and centre of policy discourse and thinking; and far wider public recognition - without access to and assistance from First Nations landholders or chances of achieving net zero and biodiversity repair and maintenance are zero.Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-75501103991668389882023-02-06T10:24:35.506+11:002023-02-06T10:24:35.506+11:00Mike this is a very compelling post in large part ...Mike this is a very compelling post in large part because it is foregrounded by your detailed and evocative case study of what is at stake in relation to just one language, Gija in the East Kimberley. The Australian continent was populated by small groups and extraordinary linguistic diversity. This is anathema to modern state-making (as argued persuasively by political scientists like James Scott and linguists like Nicholas Evans) that most definitely favours monolingualism. I remember a linguistics conference at the ANU a few years back with the catch cry 'monolingualism is curable'. Is it curable in Australia? Well like truth-telling about frontier violence, we as a nation have a certain blindness and need to acknowledge both the richness and sophistication of Aboriginal languages and the destructive impact of colonisation in the past and present on their survival, especially in the monolingual school system everywhere including in regions like the East Kimberley. As First Nations peoples in Australia look both here and elsewhere, they see the cultural and political power and wellbeing spinoffs associated with language, so proper support has to be in the mix as a key element in an equitable policy framework. On concrete proposal: in annual closing the gap reporting that invariably focuses on deficits, also report areas where Indigenous Australians clearly outperform others: I remember once calculating relative outcomes in the NT using census data from 2006 and 2011 to illustrate some concerning decline in indicators reflecting Indigenous wellbeing after the supposedly cure all NTER: on one metric, ‘Indigenous language spoken at home’ Indigenous people stood out, by a relative ratio of about 400:1. Let's celebrate such positive outcomes indicating resilience and what matters from an Indigenous standpoint and see if we can build on them with realistic investments..Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-32345350998610991482022-11-27T18:05:22.322+11:002022-11-27T18:05:22.322+11:00I'm not as sanguine as you about the Independe...I'm not as sanguine as you about the Independent Panel I'm afraid. The Guardian are reporting that "the panel will be led by the treasurer and social services minister" which makes me wonder how it can be termed "independent".<br /><br />It's efficacy, as far as I can tell, will mostly be in creating a media event which pressures government to act, a bit like the annual CTG address. And like the annual CTG address, I expect it to be characterised with performative hand-wringing, "oh, we care about the poor very much but the dire economic circumstances cannot support a raise in the rate, we wish the budget situation were otherwise but there's really nothing we can do".<br /><br />Hope you're right and I'm wrong.fmarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12293358628518573479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-75799418414782182332022-11-14T15:43:14.396+11:002022-11-14T15:43:14.396+11:00Hi Mike,
I strongly disagree with your suggestion...Hi Mike,<br /><br />I strongly disagree with your suggestion that some kind of interim Voice be established *now*. While I understand the logic of your reasoning, there is an overriding imperative to win the Referendum. <br /><br />Both the proponents of Voice and the government appear to be adopting a small target strategy regarding what a Voice would look like. They are neither committing to the Langton-Calma model nor committing to replace it with something else.<br /><br />This seems to be a wise electoral strategy. Without a specific proposal to attack, critics of Voice can only attack the idea that Indigenous people have some kind of Voice. This is difficult to do with credibility.<br /><br />Establishing an interim Voice before a Referendum would give the no campaign a huge amount of amo. Every questionable design choice, appointment or silly thing a member said would be blown up as a reason why a Voice is a bad idea. I think it would risk the success of the Referendum entirely.<br /><br />An interim body would be for two or three years — but constitutional change is forever. Its not worth it.fmarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12293358628518573479noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-43376225528854590582022-10-26T17:14:37.934+11:002022-10-26T17:14:37.934+11:00Hey Mike, good to have you back, where have you be...Hey Mike, good to have you back, where have you been, we have all missed you.<br /><br />Can I add an eighth and ninth point:<br /><br />8th: the figures above are not the Indigenous population but an estimate adjusting after the post-enumeration survey (PES) for an undercount of about 17.5% nationally (the count was 812,728). While it is important to adjust the population upwards after the PES, it is only the count that generates information on the socio-economic characteristics of the population. Given that those who are missed by the census are more likely to live remotely or be homeless etc it is likely that social indicators generated by the count overestimate the wellbeing of the Indigenous population: in other words, the gaps that policy is looking to close are likely greater than reported using census data.<br /><br />9th: the census deploys two methods, self-reporting for most and for some mainly in very remote Australia having the census completed by an ABS employed official through direct survey-like questioning. It is difficult to assess what impact this has on the quality of information collected. But while those who self-report also self-identify, it is likely that an official who visits a discrete Indigenous community is unlikely to actually ask the person 'surveyed' if they are Indigenous given that this method targets Indigenous people many of whom have difficulty with Australian-English literacy. This might be one reason (among several) why the indigenous population, especially in very remote Australia, is growing more slowly than elsewhere where people self-identity both themselves and their offspring.<br />Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-9425831567212376862022-08-15T09:39:26.185+10:002022-08-15T09:39:26.185+10:00Hi Mike, I agree that the Commonwealth needs to pl...Hi Mike, I agree that the Commonwealth needs to play a much more active role in alcohol regulation, epecially wrt. pricing, taxation and the establishment of consistent set of procedures for enacting local restrictions (on density, product mix, trading hours, etc.) at arms length from the local alcohol lobby.<br /><br />On your third point, there's no need for this to be undertaken under the race power which would probably be politically very difficult. You might recall that Jenny Macklin sought advice on the Commonwealth's ability to take over poker machine regulation after Wilkie forced the ALP into that position. That advice seems similarly applicable to alcohol, particular wrt the corporations power and the trade and commerce power. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/media/pressrel/644798/upload_binary/644798.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22media/pressrel/644798%22<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-87734283433401179502022-05-23T17:58:06.477+10:002022-05-23T17:58:06.477+10:00Thanks Mike - great analysis of the challenges ahe...Thanks Mike - great analysis of the challenges ahead for the Albanese Govt. Getting rid of the CDC would save them some money which could be invested in other more positive directions. Getting more First Nations people into jobs would create tax revenue and improving health and education would also save money longer term.So there are benefits - I recall the study RA did some years ago about the contribution to the economy that Closing the Gap would make. It was very significant. So despite the constraints there is value in such investment! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-79095591629510231012022-05-23T09:16:39.706+10:002022-05-23T09:16:39.706+10:00Guess it is incumbent on us all to hold the Albane...Guess it is incumbent on us all to hold the Albanese Government to its pre-election commitments!<br /><br />A Labor Government will: <br /><br />Implement the Uluru Statement in full – Voice, Treaty and Truth. <br />Work towards Closing the Gap. <br />Abolish the punitive Community Development Program. <br />Turn the tide on incarceration and deaths in custody through landmark justice reinvestment funding. <br />Improve housing in remote Indigenous communities. <br />Invest in First Nations management of land and waters. <br />Strengthen First Nations economic and job opportunities. <br />Get rid of the privatised Cashless Debit Card.Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-16864629316040367252022-02-15T15:30:20.442+11:002022-02-15T15:30:20.442+11:00Thanks Mike for an excellent analysis of the Joint...Thanks Mike for an excellent analysis of the Joint Standing Committee's report. The question of inalienability of native title rights and interests is one that i address in detail in my PhD thesis and that I also researched in the context of the 'Living on Our Lands' study that i undertook for the WA Dept of Indigenous Affairs in 2012 (which was never publicly released). I also addressed it in my paper published by AIATSIS in July 2016.<br /><br />Your comment that we need an institution backed by government guarantee is correct, but we also need to give native title holders at least, a better deal on development rights, as my colleague from SGS Economics and Planning recently stated in this article:<br />https://www.sgsep.com.au/publications/insights/first-nations-people-deserve-better-deal-on-development-rights<br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12176028629241093750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-5046555937973755872022-02-14T12:40:16.250+11:002022-02-14T12:40:16.250+11:00Thanks Mike as usual you do a terrific job in prov...Thanks Mike as usual you do a terrific job in providing a dispassionate summary of a complex issue. Thank you also for giving a positive nod to the submission I prepared with Francis Markham at the Committee's belated invitation in late 2021: unlike your positive nod, we only got a cursory nod from the Committee. <br /><br />Two quick comments. <br /><br />First, the title of this Inquiry, ‘The engagement of traditional owners in the economic development of northern Australia’, its terms of reference, and not surprisingly the report focus on what traditional owners (and their land holdings) can do FOR the economic development of the North. In my view and much of your commentary suggests that the Inquiry should have focused on what traditional owners can do to develop THEIR land holdings for THEIR benefit. Hence my second point, which was the substance of our submission and which the Committee summarised in a few brief lines: isn't it about time that we recognised that 'economic development' will mean different things to different interest groups including among traditional owners in north Australia? There is little in the report that looks at development alternatives or alternatives to mainstream forms of development except in a couple of passing comments. There is an urgent need for 'decolonisation of the mind' among key decision makers (white and black) in Australia today. <br /><br />A colleague to whom I passed the report who works for an environmental not-for-profit assisting Aboriginal ranger groups in the north was excited about the positive reference to the Caring for Country movement and asked me if recommendations from policy inquiries like this were generally implemented from my experience (my having participated in about 100 Inquiries since 1985). My response was sadly negative: rarely are recommendations implemented I lamented, the best chance is before an election if an incoming government can make some policy commitments and be held to account. I note the belated release of this report and hope that its more progressive recommendations, especially in relation to the realistic support for PBCs (first recommended in 1995) and the establishment of a PBC Future Fund, gain some traction. <br /><br />My prolix comment inspired by your, as always, thoughtful post. Thanks Mike, your ongoing energetic and productive engagement in this difficult policy field is admirable and appreciated. Hope to read much more in 2022!<br />Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2569477019586958075.post-60073607086811109602021-11-02T16:35:01.992+11:002021-11-02T16:35:01.992+11:00Mike thanks for your astute review and prognosis. ...Mike thanks for your astute review and prognosis. If I may make a few comments, historical, contemporary and contextual. Historically, the Anangu traditional owners of Uluru vehemently opposed Yulara when it was built without their consent. I am sure that at least some still maintain that sentiment. When I worked at Mutitjulu in 1985 and 1986 some would not even go to Yulara in protest. I think that there are two contemporary issues that come to mind. First tourism is a risky business. In Kakadu traditional owners learnt that with the pilots strike in 1989; and now both Yulara and Kakadu are suffering from COVID-related downturns that dramatically impact on the bottom line. Tourism is also risky in remote climatically challenging places like Kakadu in the tropics and Uluru in the desert because physical infrastructure deteriorates fast and needs constant expensive repair and maintenance: these are not easy places to make a profit even though they are popular destinations. Second is that difficult issue that you raise of divestment, to whom can such massive investments be divested especially as the emphasis has to be on traditional owner groups or JVs where traditional owners hold a majority. This is an issue that needs to be thoughtfully addressed prior to purchase not after the horse has bolted. Finally there is the very chilling contemporary observation that you make, that the government and opposition are hell bent on passing the Economic Empowerment Bill as quickly as possible without due consultation process. I sincerely hope that this is not a cynical move to see ABA mining royalty equivalents transferred to the proposed NT Aboriginal Investment Corporation that will then be 'encouraged' by the Minister to 'invest' in Yulara to free the ILSC of this crippling financial burden: hand-passing this liability from one Indigenous statutory authority to another seems neither fair nor a productive way to solve a historical financial legacy from over a decade ago.Jon Altmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08948703819491540119noreply@blogger.com