Local communities must find resolutions to strife
What is happening in Alice Springs and increasingly in Darwin, and within some of our other Indigenous communities is a national disgrace.
On one hand, we have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on a referendum to give our Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders a constitutional Voice to Parliament, which was comprehensively defeated.
On the other hand, we have some Indigenous communities in abject turmoil – the impact of which is spreading.
Where are the Indigenous leaders who were advocating the case for the Voice to Parliament?
Why are none of those high-profiled advocates trying to resolve the deep-seated problems that exist in Alice Springs?
There was no way a Voice to Parliament was going to assist in resolving those issues, proving the electorate correct in rejecting the referendum.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flew into Alice Springs months ago when the issues of personal safety and rioting received public attention.
He was reported to have been there for only one hour, but left saying the government had committed $250m to address the challenges within the Alice Springs community.
Money is rarely the answer to deep-seated problems.
That said, how was that $250m spent or will be spent? This is public money; we are entitled to an account of its expenditure.
The fact that the PM spent only one hour in the Alice while spending hours at the marriage of a NSW radio announcer, gives us all a clear understanding of his priorities and that of his government.
There are individuals in Alice Springs, Indigenous elders, the mayor, teachers and others, crying out for support.
We are all entitled to ask, where are those Indigenous leaders, who so strongly advocated for the Voice to Parliament? Why have they been silent, absent at a time of genuine need within their community? I suspect it is because the Indigenous community is not one community, but hundreds of communities.
I suspect the Indigenous leaders who advocated for the Voice recognise that they might not be welcome in Alice Springs.
The PM should bring together these advocates as a working group, to stay in Alice Springs, to work with the Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders in Alice, to develop a program that could address the current challenges.
Importantly, for the youth of Alice Springs, activity through sport is a major contributor in their lives and could be part of the solution.
Clearly, no one has all the answers, but money alone is no substitute for spending time understanding the contributing issues and seeking to resolve them.
I am sure the resolution will be locally developed and implemented.
Alice Springs is an important city for Australians and international visitors, as for many it is the gateway to Uluru, without a doubt one of the world’s most important natural attractions.
Curfews are an indication of serious problems that must and can be addressed.