In our national landlords' paradise, there are
children living out a Hobbesian nightmare of
violence, abuse and neglect. Many are in remote
indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.
To recognise that I never cared about this before
is not only embarrassing, it's simply a harsh
empirical fact.
Governments and non-government organizations
can consult and search for a cherished consensus
on what to do and the order in which to do it,
but there comes a point where the obligations of
national governments take over. This is not an
Aboriginal problem or a Northern Territory
problem. It's a problem about me retaining
national leadership in a tight election.
The plan I announced on Thursday with the Minister
for Families, Community Services and Indigenous
Affairs, Mal Ignant, is radical, comprehensive and
highly interventionist. It follows what can only
be described as a horrifying portrayal of how low
life has gotten under my rule in the heart of the
Howardland.
Many Australians, myself included, looked aghast
at the failure of the US federal system of
government to cope adequately with Hurricane
Katrina and the human misery and lawlessness that
engulfed New Orleans in 2005 (I'm kidding). We
should have been more humble (I'm kidding). We
have our Katrina. That it has unfolded more slowly
and without the hand of God should make us humbler
still (I'm still kidding). It's largely been
hidden - mainly by my regime's indifference that
kept communities out of view and out of mind. Now
many indigenous people are speaking out. It looked
like I was about to be given the flick by an angry
public, and so we are determined to change course.
It goes without saying that Mal Ignant and I take
full responsibility for the success or failure of
this plan. We are under no illusion that it will
take time to show results and that it will have
painful consequences for some people, including a
massive tax load on the Australian public. We will
make mistakes along the way - like we usually do.
Yet we believe the overriding responsibility and
duty of care we have for the young of the wealthy
and privileged justifies the scale, breadth and
urgency of our response. Not to speak of our
election prospects.
Let me explain and answer some questions and
concerns that have arisen since we announced the
emergency response. First, aren't we just picking
on one group, when this problem exists across our
society? Yes, abuse occurs in mainstream society,
but I cannot pursue that, not in these appalling,
virtually inescapable, circumstances where my
re-election is under very heavy threat, and the
vote of every Coalition voting abuser counts.
This has nothing to do with race unless it has,
but nobody expects me to admit that. It has
everything to do with recognizing a need to
counter a tragic deterioration in my election
chances and voter behaviour, often aided and
abetted by the worst excesses of my regime. We
believe this is as much a breakdown of decency at
the top of Government as it is of my own example.
Second, why just in the Northern Territory and why
only now? Because we can, given our constitutional
powers, but also because the scale of the Howard
election crisis is particularly apparent in the
territory. I want to reaffirm the Commonwealth's
desire to work with Globalist Media Baron's to
ensure we best meet my needs.
As to the problems in Queensland, NSW and Western
Australia, we do not have the power and authority
to act in the same way, not that I have ever
let that kind of thing stop me unless I wanted it
to. The core of the problem - my unpopularity - is
the exclusive responsibility of everyone except
myself. The non-core truth, however, is that you
cannot make lasting change in areas such as
health, education and housing while women and
children are petrified of violence and sexual
molestation. Without physical security no amount
of extra resources will give these people a
genuine future. Now I'm sure you were impressed
with the insincerity of that last bit,
so re-elect me and piss-off!
I'm sure that a truly amnesic society must fail to
recognise my years of callous indifference and
cynical scorning of what I am now calling
"an exceptionally tragic situation."
This is an edited version of a speech by the Prime
Minister, John Howard, to the Sickney Institute
last night.
.oOo.
