Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Within many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities there are issues with establishing good health, good employment paths and good social justice outcomes. There is also an expectation, by some, to be treated differently to other Australians, some unfortunately, possibly due to poverty, display violent and antisocial behaviour. The current programs are not assisting this community to be a vital part of mainstream Australia. I do not want to loose the diversity of this community but we need strong dialogue  to become inclusive of all communities in Australia. I believe over time that we will need to replace this department with a new Department of Home Affairs, so that all and any disadvantaged groups can receive targeted aid to relieve the particular issues that their community is facing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VexDWYe3fXE

Policy:

We will with care dismantle the the Dapatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and deliver effective aid to all disaffected communities as it is required so that personal self-determination and self worth can be established in every disadvantaged community. All areas where there is cronic poverty, cronic unemployment, cronic social disadvantage, cronic socially disruptive behaviour we will deliver effective assistance in a culturally sensitive way so that we will change the culture of the community to one that a positive community restructing will become the buzzword concerning that community.

There will be no reduction in assistance given but it will be given to deliver intentionally positive outcomes not only to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders but to all ethnic and culture groups in the community.

Future concerns:

While some consider that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders need to have a special voice in the Federal Parliament; I am not in agreement to this at all as it can be seen as placing long term segregation of communities and this is a form of apartheid that I am totally opposed to. There is much debate within and between both the Aboriginal community and the non-Aboriginal community. The whole plan in dealing with the fact that there is a degree of disproportionate disadvantage within the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is to remove the appearance of segregation as well as all evidence of segregation of any community in Australia. If people are needing to be assisted due to disadvantage under the plan via the new Department of Home Affairs, while it must be culturally sensitive it cannot be in a apartheid manner in anyway. To have a united nation all the things that are causing divisions must be removed or neutralised as far as possible. Therefore, a special voice in the national parliament would be counter-productive to the goal of removing divisions within the communities.