ABC presenter Julia Christensen: The Federal Government has confirmed that it will continue funding a federal taskforce that’s been investigating allegations of child sex abuse in the Northern Territory for the last few years. The commission’s work was due to end because the government said it was too expensive, they couldn’t afford it. But now Prime Minister Rudd and Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin have stepped in to overturn the decision which will be welcome news, because there was a lot of criticism earlier this week that the taskforce, which is part of the Australian Crime Commission, was being disbanded. Kim Hill is the CEO of the Northern Land Council.
Kim Hill good morning.
Kim Hill: Good morning Julia and good morning listeners.
Christensen: You’re not so pleased with this news, why not?
Hill: No, put things into perspective Julia. I mean my response in regards to the comments made by Professor Langdon and Mr Warren Mundine, who don’t live or have any cultural affiliations to the Northern Territory. I’m just disappointed to see that indigenous leaders perpetrating the myth that indigenous people are overwhelmingly criminals in nature. And it’s not true. And if these people do believe that there are child abusers in their communities well bring that to the attention of the police.
Christensen: What’s your feeling about the taskforce, do you not support it?
Hill: No look the taskforce, and my understanding in regards to trying to capture or get evidence to prosecute child abusers is very difficult, in nature, because it’s difficult for the families and it’s difficult no doubt for the victim’s family to provide that evidence for courts to get prosecutions or police to get prosecutions. So it’s a sensitive issue we’re dealing with. And it’s not a question about the Australian Crime Commission and what they’re doing; I think police officers are doing a fantastic job out there. The issue is for us, is the enforcement issues.
Christensen: Well Warren Mundine has said that he’s only interested in the safety of children and if that makes him a racist then he’s happy to be a racist. Are those the sorts of comments you’re talking about?
Hill: No, you know, that’s Warren and if Warren’s got problems with his aboriginality that’s his problem.
Christensen: What do you mean?
Hill: Well no-one’s calling him a racist are they?
Christensen: Well you’re suggesting that he has no right to speak.
Hill: Look again, he’s a self promoted aboriginal leader. People have said to politicians, particularly down south, this gentleman and others do not speak for aboriginal people in the Northern Territory.
Christensen: Do we need this bickering, I mean shouldn’t we just be getting down to the issue of child abuse and throwing as many resources as we can at it instead of bickering as to who is and who isn’t an Aboriginal leader and who can speak?
Hill: No look again, in my press release yesterday, and it hasn’t been reported, that it’s particularly disappointing that the real opportunities to overcome indigenous disadvantage are being missed by some commentators. And I do want to, you know, I do care for aboriginal women, they are one of the most beautiful women in the world, our children are beautiful and we need to protect our children. However it’s disappointing that people want to try keep their status within society, and you know, trying to represent the most disadvantaged group in this country, our leaders in the Northern Territory are well equipped to deal with that.
Christensen: Well Sue Gordon spoke out when it was reported that the Crime Commission Taskforce was being dropped, she said she wanted it to stay. Does she have a right to speak Kim Hill?
Hill: Look at the end of the day in regards to the Australian Crime Commission, my understanding is that their funding was coming to an end. Okay, people want to see enforcement issues, particularly in areas of child abuse, the whole issue of children being neglected. I support a number of initiatives under the intervention, no doubt the cleaning up of rubbish around the communities, the car bodies which are littered throughout our communities, the nutrition program, the housing program, there are some really good initiatives under the intervention. However, I go back to the point that, you know, it’s disappointing to see that indigenous leaders perpetrating that the myths of indigenous people particularly here in the Northern Territory are overwhelmingly criminals in nature.
Frank, you sound like an interesting person. My experience of remote aboriginal settlements has been overwhelmingly bad. Yours seems to be good, or at least tolerable.
I would be interested to communicate directly. I don’t know if this will get past the moderator or if you’ll read it but my address is gandlin@bigpond.com. Please talk to me.
It’s typical that narrow minded white trash like Bilious, and uninformed journos like Ms Christensen take the high moral ground; it’s a pity they never realise it’s made of sand.
I believe the point that Kim Hill is trying to make is that the Indigenous people are represented by many different tribes, and to have one tribe make policy for so many others does not work. Sp Mr Mundine isn’t racist, it’s just he doesn’t speak for all aboriginals when he makes his utterances. It is as nonsensical as believing Berlusconi speaks for all of Europe when he makes his silly comments. He doesn’t. Even if when he is chairman of the European Community; other countries will not accept his rulings if they have not been consulted. It’s the same with the aboriginal people. How do I know? I’ve talked to some as well as to sympathetic whites… probably a lot more than the bilious Bilous or Ms Christensen has ever done.
Can I also throw in here that a vast majority of remote communities DO NOT suffer from alcoholism, rampant rapists and pedophiles… but again, I’m taking my facts from people who work on them, visit them and see these things first hand. But I guess they’re no match for election year politics and Alan Jones.
Research my friends; it can be most enlightening.
Please can some one please tell me how many children have been found to be sexually or physically abused since this so called intervention began. It is my understanding that most of the children reported as being abused before this time had already been investigated and offenders taken before the court. Is not the reality be that this type of intervention would lead to abuse going underground and less likely to be found, putting more children at risk.
B. Ms Hill, how long do you think hard-pressed people in the south who pay taxes, worry about losing their jobs, and struggle to pay school fees for two children are going to feel generous towards people who insist on living where they can do nothing but be burdens on the taxpayer and show no signs of being able to cope with modern civilisation, despite you claims that you have adequate leaders in the NT?
Hill. But this was our land and your people stopped us living the way we used to so you owe it to us.
B. Forever? If you accept that you can’t and won’t go back to pre-contact life but want to enjoy the benefits of modern civilisation, not least increased healthy life expectancy, don’t you want to show you can pull your weight and contribute as well as anyone else by the time your young children are 25 or 30? If so, what’s your plan? Don’t you think Warren Mundine, Noel Pearson, Sue Gordon and Marcia Langton know more about what will help hunter-gatherer people with no marketable skills to become self-respecting employable citizens of Australia than the unnamed NT leaders you would rely on?
Precisely whom Warren Mundine speaks for is a vexed question. One possible answer is everyone! When he was the National President of the ALP, Mundine was a member of the National Indigenous Council, which endorsed the policies of the Howard Government. Mundine also blamed communal land titles for Indigenous poverty, while being employed as the CEO of Native Title Services Corp – an organisation whose purpose is to advocate for the recognition of communal interests in land. Likewise, Mundine apparently saw no conflict between his role at Native Title Services Corp and his recent appointment to the board of the Australian Uranium Association. Now we hear that Warren is happy to be called a racist. Who really cares? A more pressing question is why does the Rudd Government listen to Warren Mundine at all?