just another day in paradise

Now we come to the crux of my issue for today:

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has unveiled a plan aimed at boosting the number of Indigenous Australians in the force.

"One of the things we need to do, by addressing the skill deficiencies people might have, put them in a position where they can pass the entry requirements," he said.

"That's a key objective we have whether it be for people in northern Australia or people in Redfern or in Fitzroy."

Mr Snowdon says ADF has a lot to offer Indigenous Australians including education, employment and health care.

"If we can provide people with some experience wearing a uniform, doing some of the work that they might acquire whether that be Army, Air Force or Navy then that will provide them with an insight as to what's expected of them," he said.

While no specific targets have been set, Mr Snowdon says the challenges of health, education, culture and isolation can be overcome.

I suppose the defence department could provide all these things, but are we offering a jump from the frying pan into the fire?

The Northern Territory's Anti-Discrimination Commissioner Tony Fitzgerald says the Federal intervention into remote Aboriginal communities should be abandoned and the legislation underpinning it should be repealed.

Mr Fitzgerald says the intervention has caused confusion, unfairness and inconvenience in remote Territory communities.

He is critical of the one-off, short-term health checks and income quarantining measures, and says the suspension of the Northern Territory and Federal race discrimination legislation can never be justified.

Meanwhile, the head of the Northern Territory branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says he does not know of any cases of child sexual abuse that have been uncovered by the medical checks introduced as part of the federal intervention.

"It's disappointing for people who had hoped that the financial muscle of the Commonwealth Government would create significant improvements in the lives of these Aboriginal citizens," he said.

"Particularly in such prosperous times for our nation it simply doesn't seem right to see Aboriginal people living 25 to a house and living in a certain level of despair about their futures."

"Eight hundred additional Commonwealth public servants doesn't seem to me like a good investment when Maningrida, the largest community in the Northern Territory, can't have a dentist or a child protection worker or a youth worker."

It could be just angry locals? so I serached some more:

An expert on Indigenous policy who has just returned from a visit to Maningrida in Arnhem Land says the intervention has not eased overcrowded housing.

Jon Altman from the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research at the Australian National University spent 10 days in the Aboriginal community.

He says he saw no evidence that housing has improved in the 12 months since the intervention began.

"Maningrida is one of the largest Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. There is about 3,000 people out there living in about 200 houses - 15 per house.

"I certainly didn't see a new house built in the last 12 months."

So where does the money go?

An independent review of container accommodation used as part of the Northern Territory emergency response has found a serious need to clarify the roles of Government business managers.

The review, commissioned by the federal Department of Families and Community Services, looks at a number of issues around the Government's response to traces of formaldehyde being found in staff accommodation this year.

The report's author, Tony Blun, says communication problems between Government business managers and community employment brokers were highlighted by the formaldehyde incident.

Mr Blun goes on to call for a need to clarify the roles and priorities of the Government business managers and for objective and transparent performance appraisals to be carried out.

He also recommends a review of the level of resourcing for the managers as part of the intervention.

The Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin, has accepted all 16 recommendations.