Thread: I made it to Darwin

Originally Posted by MT

What are you two on about? Have you any idea what life is like for these folks? (before you say anything - I have lived in the territory and grew up in outback SA, I know what things are really like for our indigenous people).

I am disappointed that such redneck, ignorant and racist attitudes exist amongst our members.

Mark

What are you on about? Can't I be in disagreement with the current Labour Government policies and attitudes without being labelled an ignorant redneck with racist tendancies? I DO live in the Territory and I have lived in SA. I get to see every day what life is like for our indigenous people.

Also, how do you define indigenous? You have to go back many generations in my family before you leave these shores, surely that makes me indigenous. I know of at least one "indigenous" person here in town who has a Canadian father. Surely I am more indigenous then they are!

Originally Posted by BigJon

Also, how do you define indigenous? You have to go back many generations in my family before you leave these shores, surely that makes me indigenous. I know of at least one "indigenous" person here in town who has a Canadian father. Surely I am more indigenous then they are!

There is an "aboriginal" activist lady here in Brisbane who flys the banner at her home, wears clothes in the colours, and is always at the forefront of demonstrations screaming at police, pushing over the gates at parliament house, etc. Her father was a Latvian post WWII refugee, one of her grandfathers was Irish, the other Latvian and at least one great grandfather was white. Her mother was of mixed race. I make her about a sixteenth aboriginal. Properly described as an Australian of Euro-celtic aboriginal descent. Where do you draw the line as to "race"?

Ooops

I always hate seeing these people who claim to be aboriginal for the money. I mean as far as i'm concerned, you have to be at least 50% aboriginal to be able to claim that ancestry. Now that's probably not fair on some, but more than fair on others.

Where is the "official" cutoff? Doesn't centerlink use a specific percentage, 1/16th or some such?

Not that this is where this thread was going but....

As I recall the original comment was taken out of context and claimed as making it racist/redneck etc, which it wasn't.

There are PLENTY f genuine Aboriginal people who disagree with the polititions about policy and even those that "favour" aboriginal decent over white are not all agreed to by Aboriginal Elders etc. Part of the problem is we do have two sets of policies that differentiate between race. Otherwise why would there be different systems of welfare, job assistance (including employer incentives) etc.

Set up similar scheme's for those of Arabic decent in the current political climate and watch the S*** hit the fan.

I don't consider myself racist at all. But I am against racism. Having seperate policies has caused enough damage over the years. One Country, One law. (Now can we get all the transport ministers together while we are solving Australia's problems?)

LOL let's get ack to the 4x4 discussion..... Anyone for a Topic on Waeco versus Engel? LOL (At least here we don't have the Toyota/Nissan Arguments!)

my car only goes 130 km/h.

Originally Posted by TREX

my car only goes 130 km/h.

You aren't pedalling hard enough! Even my old Rangie will pull 140 + on a good day.

Originally Posted by Phoenix

Where is the "official" cutoff? Doesn't centerlink use a specific percentage, 1/16th or some such?

Some Centrelink forms ask if the claimant is of aboriginal or islander ancestry. Answering is voluntary. Supposedly only for statistical purposes. Other than employment oriented programmes, mainly CES, the only specifically aboriginal funding in my time there was Abstudy, which was CES not DSS anyway. You could be lily white and get Abstudy so long as you were "accepted by the community". We had Aboriginal & Islander Liaison Officers, AILO's, who came in off the street as ASO4's ( Supervisors) which rank could take anyone one else, if good enough, up to 10 years to reach. This did cause a lot of ill-feeling, particularly as they received only basic technical training and had to have an ASO3 or 4 minder with them to provide technical assistance when they were out visiting. The political correctness thought police used to kow tow to the AILO's which didn't help their cause even if they were nice people and otherwise well liked. Centrelink staffing these days is supposed to reflect the community they service, hence Mt. Isa has 45% aboriginal staff.