April 19, 2007. This page contains all major
reports and comment pieces in the current edition.
Chief Minister booed. By ERWIN CHLANDA and KIERAN FINNANE.
Chief Minister Clare Martin was subjected to unprecedented anger, with sustained booing and heckling while she spoke to the crowd Ð a WhoÕs Who of small local business Ð gathered to protest about law and order issues as Parliament opened in Alice on Tuesday.
Ms Martin took the microphone to loud booing, and it didnÕt get any better, with constant, often vehemently angry, interjections.
ÒI do understand your concerns,Ó she said.
ÒGo and walk our streets in the dark!Ó came the cry.
ÒWe as government have put over the last 12 months considerable efforts into dealing with the long term issues of Alice Springs.Ó
Booing, catcalls.
Ms Martin got sustained heckling when she mentioned the alcohol plan and a decrease in consumption (a minimal 11%).
ÒWhat crap.Ó
ÒLook around the Northside.Ó
Ms Martin: ÒThere are major plans under way for the future of the town camps.Ó
ÒWhen are you going to start?Ó
Ms Martin: ÒPolice numbers will be at full strength in the future.Ó
Loud heckling by several people.
Ms Martin: ÒWe need to be dealing with the immediate problems, which we are.Ó
ÒWell then do something today.Ó
Ms Martin: ÒYour future is bright.Ó
ÒNo thanks to you.Ó
ÒIf this were Darwin, it wouldnÕt be happening.Ó
Ms Martin: ÒIÕm happy to meet, if you are available, to talk about these issues in more detail.Ó
ÒWeÕre here.Ó
Ms Martin: ÒThank you for coming today.Ó
ÒOooohhh. Booo! Go back to Darwin.Ó
Ms Martin: ÒAnd can I tell you that I share your concerns for Alice Springs.Ó
ÒYou do not.Ó
ÒDream on.Ó
ÒGo to the record [of what she has done].Ó
Ms Martin: ÒWe do have strategies in place that I believe will see a change in the next 12 months and into the future.Ó
ÒYou might fix [the problem] when weÕre all dead.Ó
ÒYou canÕt even ring the police station.Ó
ÒGo and take your gutless mates with you.Ó
Trevor Filmer, organizer of part of the protest, took the mike to applause from the audience, and said he and a delegation would accept Ms MartinÕs invitation to a meeting inside where Parliament was getting ready to start its third sittings in Alice Springs.
Before going in Ms Martin told journalists: ÒI am the Minister for major projects. Alice Springs is one of my major projects.
ÒThere is an unacceptable level of violence.
ÒThere are youths that should be home and are not.
ÒWe havenÕt had full police numbers.
ÒOver the last couple of weeks we had full police numbers.
ÒIÕve given Alice Springs a commitment that we will respond when there are problems here, so that the streets of Alice Springs can be safe.Ó
In a media release later on Tuesday Ms Martin announced a $150,000 grant towards CCTV for Todd Mall and a Òsummit to continue the fight against anti-social behaviorÓ.
ÒThe summit will be held after the decision on the Alice Springs application to become a dry town Ð which is expected next month.
ÒItÕll build on the leadersÕ forum which is being hosted by the Alice Springs Mayor Fran Kilgariff on Friday,Ó said Ms Martin.
Ms Martin also announced a police ÒSocial Order Taskforce which will identify crime hot spots in and around Alice SpringsÓ.
That means the widely mocked talk fests are continuing: A forum followed by a summit followed by a task force.
Earlier Steve Brown, from Advance Alice, got loud and long applause when he took the microphone, saying this is Òan historic day, a moment thatÕs been building for a couple of years, and gaining momentum over the last few months.
ÒEnough is enough.Ó
More huge applause.
He urged the immediate problems, such as policing, the basic safety issues, to be addressed urgently, Òin the most aggressive manner possibleÓ even if the underlying causes of the anti-social behavior and crime are tackled later.
The Alice News spoke to people in the crowd.
Business owner Linda Wilson was there with her toddler and retired parents.
They came to Alice in 1972 and love the town.
ÒWe went out to the movies the other night, an eight oÕclock movie.
ÒWeÕre sitting outside having a drink and thereÕs gangs of kids, little kids, five to about 13, they had knives, one had a syringe and he was trying to stab another little kid with it.
ÒThe police come but what can they do with all these kids, thereÕs nowhere to take them.
ÒWeÕve got a small business in town.
ÒOver the last week weÕve been broken into five times, windows smashed, damage to vehicles, itÕs petrol sniffers. They caught some, but they are out again.
ÒItÕs all got to come out of your own pocket and you just canÕt afford to have it keep happening.Ó
What does she think needs to be done?
ÒWith the young children, theyÕve got to have somewhere to take them, they canÕt take them home. And with petrol sniffers, I donÕt know what theyÕre going to do with them, their communities donÕt want them, thatÕs why they come to town.
ÒTheyÕre scary. I want my little feller to grow up and be able to be like I was when I was a kid. We used to ride our bikes up town, go to the movies, stuff like that and I want him to be able to do that.
ÒOur home is here, we want to stay in town but if it gets worse and worse you have to consider, is it a safe place to live.Ó
Ms Wilson says the police need more resources. Her business had similar problems with petrol sniffers a couple of years ago: ÒThere was a big taskforce and they came in camouflage gear and caught a lot of people.
ÒAnd we asked them why they couldnÕt do that [again] and they said they donÕt have the money in the budget to do it anymore.
ÒWe spoke to the police yesterday and said maybe the police on patrol should have dogs for their protection as well Ð because itÕs all in the hills around our area, thatÕs where the trouble is Ð and thereÕs no budget for that either.Ó
Father, Bob Wilson, says Òeducation is what we have to concentrate on, get them to school, get them a work ethicÓ.
Maurice Aladjem and wife Louise came because of what has happened to their neighbor: ÒShe was sexually molested in broad daylight at 3pm in front of Yeperenye.
ÒWhen itÕs getting to that extent itÕs about time somethingÕs done.
ÒWeÕve lived here just over 10 years and seen an incredible deterioration in safety and a whole lot of conditions in Alice Springs.Ó
WhoÕs responsible for fixing the problem?
ÒItÕs obvious governments are put in place to look after the citizens and for there to be law and order. Unfortunately a lot of things seem to be touchy because of race. I donÕt see it as a race issue at all.
ÒIf law and order is breaking down, law and order is breaking down. IÕve been to other places in Australia where order has broken down and it just so happens to have been among Anglo-Saxons and the same thing needs to be done.
ÒUnfortunately a lot of the politicians are up north.
ÒHaving lived in Darwin you can see the resources are being focused there and thereÕs no interest here whatsoever.Ó
Are they going to stay in town?
ÒI hope so, I love it here. We donÕt go into town now at night, canÕt go for coffee, restaurants or the cinema.
ÒMy wife doesnÕt feel very safe.Ó
Robyn Perry, a car dealer, brandished a poster saying sheÕs sick of the Òmurder and mayhem: Do the crime, do the timeÓ.
SheÕs no longer feeling safe in Alice Springs.
The pollies are just Òtip-toeing, forgetting usÓ, she says.
Will she be leaving town?
ÒNot me. IÕm not going anywhere.Ó
Tom Surr likewise is tired of Òall that violence and stuff.
ÒIÕve been here for a long time but itÕs changed very much.Ó
He was beaten up recently: ÒGot a couple of broken ribs out of it.Ó
And heÕs is thinking of leaving town: ÒI love this town. ItÕs got good people in it. Good place to work. But IÕve had enough of the rest of it.Ó
Ali Hutchinson would Òlove to leave town but I canÕt afford itÓ.
ÒItÕs not safe to be out. YouÕve got to lock your doors.
ÒYouÕre just too frightened to look at anyone sometimes in the street.
ÒIÕve just had enough of the problems in the town.
ÒI donÕt think enough is being done.
ÒEveryone has to have a say in [fixing] it. Work together and come up with a real solution, not just a bandaid.
ÒApart from that itÕs a good town.
ÒIÕve been here more than 20 years.Ó
An older woman who declined to be named said ÒthereÕs a gang of about 30 Aboriginal children holding the town to ransom at the momentÓ.
ÒIÕve been here 22 years. WeÕll stay because my husband likes it, but my children have all left town because of the way the town is.
ÒThey just cannot stand the vandalism and white people being treated as a minority.Ó
She hadnÕt had direct experience with the gang but her friend had: ÒI had dealings with the gang last week. My husband and I slept in the shop to protect it last week.Ó
Their shop is in the CBD, but not the mall.
ÒThe police are under-resourced,Ó said the woman, who also declined to be named.
ÒThey do as much as they can, but they canÕt be there when we need them.
ÒThese children are 13, 14, 15, they need to have a juvenile detention centre back in Alice Springs.Ó
Is she going to stay in Alice?
ÒNo. WeÕve been here 34 years. Next year, once our children finish school, weÕre leaving town, weÕre selling everything up and weÕre going.
ÒWeÕve had enough.Ó
Businessman Tony Bandera said the government doesnÕt care about Alice Springs: ÒEvery time you ring the Chief Minister up she ignores you or she sends one of her cronies down or they donÕt even turn up.
ÒThereÕs two ways to go, try to make them understand we are doing it hard down here, or itÕs too hot in the kitchen and you get out.
ÒBut I really donÕt want to get out at the moment.Ó
Is he thinking about it?
ÒAbsolutely. And not only me, if everyoneÕs got the guts to tell you, but theyÕre afraid theyÕll lose their business or the value of their house will go down.Ó
Shane Forrester drives around town doing deliveries: ÒIÕm forever hearing of shops being broken into, kids bashed, just general over the top stuff.Ó
ÒIÕve got two kids who are coming into that age where theyÕre going to go out on their own and I canÕt protect them and if the [police] jobÕs not being done effectively then every time they go out they are going to be at risk.Ó
The government are Òtoo interested in whatÕs happening in the northÓ.
ÒI donÕt have any solid answers. TheyÕve got to pay attention, theyÕve got to look and theyÕve got to stop pandering to the minority groups.
ÒOpal fuelÕs for a couple of hundred people, alcohol laws for a couple of thousand people but as far as I can see it is not being effective.
ÒThe $80m they claim theyÕre getting for this temporary housing bit, thatÕs not going to change anything. All theyÕre doing is bringing the problem into the community, thatÕs not going to change anything out on the communities out bush. A whole heap of things, hey, and itÕs all being done wrong.Ó
John Dawkins was of similar mind: ÒThe residents of this town are continually making compromises and nothing is being changed.
ÒWeÕve got Opal petrol when we didnÕt want it, weÕve got alcohol restrictions which have proved nothing. ItÕs only gotten worse and worse and worse.
ÒTry to address the real situation. The problem is with Aboriginals roaming the street drunk, not looking after their children.
MONEY FOR DRINK
ÒWe shouldnÕt be giving them the money to go and get drunk every day. ThatÕs all weÕre doing.Ó
Mr Dawkins has lived and worked in town for 18 years, has raised his children here and plans to retire here but Òin the last two to three years this place has become scary to live in, you cannot walk down the streets, not just around the CBD, even to take your dogs for a walk at night, itÕs dangerous because of roaming gangs of Aboriginal kids who are just assaulting peopleÓ.
Holly and Darren Clark run the Wicked Kneads bakery. TheyÕve experienced Ònumerous break-insÓ at their business.
Mr Clark says they wonÕt be staying: ÒNot long term, I wouldnÕt bring a family up in this town, itÕs a disgrace, itÕs unsafe.Ó
His wife is sad about that: ÒWeÕve invested a lot of money in this town as a young couple and considered weÕd be here for 20, 30 odd years but in the last three years with the downturn of this town, weÕve had to rethink and change our whole way of looking at things and thatÕs very sad.Ó
Said Mrs Clark: ÒWe donÕt have enough police support in Alice Springs.
ÒIÕve just been informed that overnight, each night in Alice Springs, we only have eight police people actually able to respond to crime.
ÒThree of those are desk jobs, so only five can attend to the problems. WeÕve always known thereÕs a shortage but for it to be that low is just ridiculous given the problems we have in Alice.Ó
Merilyn McIver, from Action Enterprises Event Management, was standing with the Clarks.
ÒI find it totally sad to hear comments like that. I love this town, IÕve been here for 36 years, IÕve brought two children up here and in all the 30 odd years that IÕve lived here IÕve never seen it as bad as it is now.
ÒAnd to have the Chief Minister stand up there and say she shares our concerns, itÕs a load of garbage.
ÒShe needs to come down here and see what goes on, go out with the cops, out with the poor old paramedics.
ÒI got broken into in my home only two weeks ago.
ÒItÕs awful the way we are being ignored down here.Ó
But, ÒI will be staying, this is my home and I defy anybody to shift me out of hereÓ.
Dale McIver said: ÒHopefully the Chief Minister and all of her cronies being out here this morning have actually seen that we are a town, we are supportive of everyone around us.
ÒItÕs not just people, itÕs businesses, itÕs the heart and soul of the town that are out here.Ó
Rose Sabadin lives in Gillen, near Flynn Park. SheÕs been in town 39 years.
ÒEven our dogs are out of control with barking because of the bad behavior at night.
ÒPolice are always there, going up and down the street, noisy, under age drinking.
ÒItÕs kid behavior, they go past, bang on fences, they wake up people, swear and fight.
ÒItÕs mixed [not only Aboriginal children].
ÒItÕs very sad.Ó
Bonnie Mitchell, a resident for 17 years, was anxious to stress the good points about the town:
ÒItÕs a great place to bring your kids up, the opportunities here are fantastic, you donÕt have to travel far, the sports facilities are excellent. I just think itÕs a great town but itÕs got a huge problem to be solved.
ÒThe government could do a lot more.
ÒI want to spend the rest of my life here, I love it that much, look how beautiful it is here this morning.Ó
Rodney Mengel grew up here but has got his doubts about staying:
ÒGo down the mall on a Thursday afternoon, it gives you a great idea of our society.
ÒWeÕve got a percentage of our society that lives on the dole, drinks, spits, fornicates, defecates wherever they want to, no respect for anybodyÕs property, including their own.
ÒThey come here because itÕs easy to live here, weÕve got a police force thatÕs handcuffed [by insufficient numbers].Ó
But thereÕs also the alcohol problem: ÒPolice donÕt have the powers, the force to keep that under control.Ó
He also raised the donga camp issue, referring to Mal BroughÕs Ò$80m bribeÓ.
George Sabadin said all that money should be spent on Aboriginal communities. ÒIf they want to have alcohol in their lifestyles they should have the right to drink on their own communities.
CANTEEN
ÒThey could have a wet canteen, if itÕs two hours a day so be it.
ÒWhy should we, the town of Alice Springs, 30,000 people, put up with the crap?Ó
Will he stay?
ÒA dam good question. IÕve been here 47 years, I love the town, the town made me and I thank the town for it, and itÕs a very sad thing to think whether I should go or not go, but I tell you what, it has been on my mind.
ÒI donÕt want to go, IÕd love to stay here, but if this government of ours Ð they say thereÕs no Berrimah Line but thereÕs a Berrimah Line all right Ð if they donÕt get off their butt and do something about it the economy is going to collapse.
ÒAnd then where are the taxes going to come from when there are no business people of Alice Springs encouraging other people of Alice Springs to commit their money in this beautiful town.Ó
Darrel Wilson whoÕs been here for 23 years, is Òselective of when we go out and how we go outÓ.
ÒIÕve never had problems but the only reason I havenÕt is because I know the town. Those poor unfortunates who donÕt know the town who do get accosted, I certainly feel sorry for them.Ó
Speaking after Ms MartinÕs speech, he said: ÒIf Clare understands our problems, this should have been addressed a long time ago before the people had to get together to do something about it.
ÒThe governmentÕs a yes government, there are people in this town who are yes people, sheÕs being misinformed or she just wants to ignore it.Ó
Sam Gardener was another who wanted to thank the town for the life heÕs had here, as a business and family man.
ÒIt brings a tear to my eye whatÕs happening in this town,Ó he said. ÒThey have destroyed the spirit in the town temporarily.
ÒBut it will rise up again. IÕm not going to leave. TheyÕre not going to force me out of town, weÕre going to force them out of office.Ó Change of guard at the Catholic Church in Alice. By KIERAN FINNANE.
After 78 years in Alice Springs the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart are leaving.
Only two from the order remain Ð Brother Ed Bennett, now 93 years of age, and Father Brian Healy, parish priest.
They will bid farewell to the parish in a special event on June 3, and leave in July.
After 17 years in town Fr Healy will do a renewal course before taking over as parish priest of Palmerston from the start of next year.
Incoming parish priest in Alice will be Fr Jim Knight, a Divine Word Missionary, as are Fr Asaeli Raass and Fr Michael Loke, already in town, and Fr Peter Tam Tran at Santa Teresa.
Once the only order in the parish, the numbers of Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSCs) are dwindling, Òlike all ordersÓ, says Fr Healy.
ÒYoung men just donÕt seem interested.Ó
Would allowing priests to marry make a difference?
ÒIÕd be surprised.The number of practising Catholics is dropping. We still get good numbers of students at the college, but far fewer are coming to church on Sundays and being involved in other religious practices and thatÕs across the ages, both senior and junior.
ÒWe mightnÕt be relevant, but the lack of interest is right through their lives Ð even sporting teams are struggling to get enough players.Ó
Born in 1936, Fr Healy grew up in the west Victorian town of Hamilton. He attended the MSCÕs apostolic school in his last three years of secondary school and then went into the seminary for seven yearsÕ training to become a priest.
He was ordained in 1962 and posted to the Territory in the following year.
ÒIn those days you knew you would be sent where they wanted you to go. But I did ask if I could come to the Northern Territory because I had my eye on the Aborigines. I felt they were a people in need.Ó
But while he served at Port Keats, Santa Teresa and Gove in the late Ôseventies, most of his time has been spent between Darwin Ð a decade at the cathedral, from 1963 to 1973 Ð and Alice Springs.
In Darwin his contact with Aborigines was pretty much limited to the times they attended church.
When he first arrived the congregation was segregated, apparently voluntarily Ð Òbut after a while it petered out and they sat wherever they felt like.Ó
In the communities, the biggest challenge was communicating across language barriers.
ÒYou had to learn to speak [English] simply but first of all you had to learn to befriend the people.
ÒIt would have been easy to live apart because of our differences but you had to go round the camps, mix and talk with them.Ó
What did he think Aboriginal people were seeking from the church?
ÒThe same as white people.Ó
The Christian messages Òhave penetrated reasonably wellÓ.
ÒIt could always be better, but the results are similar for whites.
ÒThey all know a lot about what we want them to know. Whether or not they put it into practice is another matter.Ó
After a stint in Alice in the early Ôeighties, Fr Healy returned in 1989. There were three MSC priests then, as well as Br Ed.
Other than for funerals, Fr Healy serves mainly the non-Aboriginal congregation.
Aboriginal Catholics have their own Mass at the churchÕs South Terrace premises.
ÒThey are able to participate in the mass in the way they want. They have a hand held microphone that they pass around.
ÒThey wouldnÕt do this in the church. And down there if the mass doesnÕt start till 11.20 or 11.30 nobody gets upset, but for whites that would be another matter!
ÒThereÕs not as much mixing in the parish as I would like to see but the Aborigines donÕt mind whites going down there, and some do, some go to contribute, to drive busses, to pick people up.Ó
The Òwhite parish is very friendlyÓ, Òpeople participate wellÓ, ÒthereÕs no trouble getting a parish council togetherÓ.
Does he feel regular attendance at Mass is largely a habit or is it more dynamic than that?
ÒFor most it is more dynamic than habit.Ó
He describes as ÒgreatÓ the participation of lay people in the Mass. Fr Healy sees his role as being a spiritual leader, in particular through celebration of the Mass, and being a friend to his parishioners. He is also involved in the prisoner fellowship and visiting people in hospital Ð Òa normal part of our ministryÓ.
He does not Ògo out of his wayÕ to comment on or be involved in broader social issues affecting the town.
His service to the church and his parishioners will be much the same in Palmerston as it has been in Alice Springs.
ÒAll parishes have a similar set-up.Ó
He says he likes Alice Springs Òvery muchÓ but is utterly unsentimental about his departure after so long.
ÒFrom the day you join you accept that your superiors have the right to ask you to move.Ó
Brother Ed undergoes surgery to receive a pacemaker next week. He is likely to move with Fr Healy to Darwin and perhaps later to Palmerston.
For his modest reflections on his long service as a missionary in the Territory, which earned him an OAM, see our website, ÒA tough manÕs work for God,Ó June 13, 2001. No end to grog woes. By ERWIN CHLANDA.
The passage of years and a debilitating condition have not extinguished the fire in Barbara CurrÕs belly about our leadersÕ sustained and entrenched incompetence in dealing with Alice SpringsÕ crushing alcohol problem.
ÒWhy are lawyers not getting in on the act?Ó she asks.
ÒLiquor traders are selling a dangerous substance.
ÒThere are class actions against the tobacco industry.
ÒIn what way is alcohol different?Ó
Ms Curr is a long time resident and a counsellor, having worked in government and private enterprise.
She had the ear of Chief Minister Marshall Perron, tin snipped placards for full strength Fosters from fences adjacent to childrenÕs playgrounds, and dropped the ads into government offices.
And she helped organise the legendary demonstration by 500 traditional women, with their breasts painted, marching through AliceÕs CBD, demanding action against the booze carnage.
ÒThe government had never seen anything like it before Ð nor since,Ó says Ms Curr.
That was in 1990.
The Living With Alcohol initiative was born.
She put ÒavailabilityÓ on the agenda of the Drug and Alcohol Association (DASA).
The notion of Òresponsible servingÓ was introduced.
Mr Perron was talking seriously about buying back licences.
But tragically, nothing of consequence followed.
Mr Perron retired and his successor, Shane Stone, Òextinguished the spark of energy in grog reformÓ.
ÒDASA ceased to be reformist and was taken over by the liquor lobby.Ó
PAAC, the PeopleÕs Alcohol Action Coalition, was formed.
Yet despite a mountain of reports and passionate public debate, the town is now paying the price for governmentÕs dilly dallying, and its pandering to the grog industry, says Ms Curr.
On a recent weekend, when hundreds of teenagers ran amok in 10 separate incidents, many of them were drunk, although under age.
ÒWhere do they get the booze?Ó she asks.
And the alcohol card, the latest ÒinitiativeÓ to reduce the harm alcohol is doing to the town, seems to have bogged down in haggling, despite a recent agreement between the tourism lobby CATIA and the Chamber of Commerce to advocate its go-ahead.
She says the latest announcement of CATIA, that it wants restrictions lifted if it agrees to the card, is ÒabsurdÓ.
It would result in less regulation of alcohol availability than there is now.
Ms Curr maintains the government should buy back the Todd Tavern liquor licence and turn the place into a youth resource centre with a cultural theme, and provide not only food and a safe place to sleep for young people, but also a location where cultural pride is on display for tourists.
She says the government should buy up some unviable pastoral properties and turn them into ÒTimbertops of the OutbackÓ.
She says: ÒYoung people could learn rewarding ways to live under the guidance of well trained staff.
ÒWhy should only kids from posh private schools go to places like that?Ó she asks.
ÒThere are just 43,000 people in Central Australia.
ÒWhy canÕt we live together in harmony?
ÒHereÕs the governmentÕs chance and responsibility to show some leadership.Ó
Six years into LaborÕs reign there is still no sign of it.
Family Minister Delia Lawrie refused to be interviewed about the issues, although as juveniles, many of the booze transgressions are committed by people she has responsibility for.
But Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney, when asked what she would do to stop the disorderly conduct linked to underage drinking, said: ÒWe would put more police on the beat, as this is the most effective way of addressing and reducing disorderly conduct.
ÒI would also get the mobile police van out and about: very few people have ever seen it.
ÒWhen I saw it in the Mall once, I knocked on the door, and no one was there!
ÒIt is widely thought that the Government would provide the police to work with and from the van.Ó
Is she aware of protocols of collaboration between the many organisations dealing with young people at risk?
Says Ms Carney: ÒI suggest you ask the Minister this one.
ÒThe Opposition would like to know what they are; who they are between; what the objectives are; and what performance measures exist to assess their benefit.
ÒAnd, by the way, where is the new Community Welfare Act Labor has promised for years?Ó From no family to a big one. By KIERAN FINNANE.
Alec Kruger was Òtoo cut upÓ to talk at the launch of the book that tells his life story, a pity because he can be an engaging, often humorous speaker.
ÒA man might be a movie star yet,Ó he quipped later, as several photographers flashed away at him and co-writer Gerard Waterford signing copies of Alone on the soaks, a stolen generation memoir.
The twinkle in AlecÕs eye is testament to remarkable resilience in face of what has been, by anyoneÕs account, a difficult life.
As a child of mixed race, Alec was taken from his Aboriginal mother when he was just three and a half. He writes of her that she was Òa hard-working spiritual womanÓ and a Ògood motherÓ.
ÒBut most of us were taken away from her. She tried but couldnÕt pull us back. My father wasnÕt able to stop them. She grieved for us, but kept her faith, kept busy with her community.Ó
And of himself, the child with Òno motherÕs armsÓ to hold him, no father to lead him, he writes: ÒUs taken-away kids only had each other. All of us damaged and too young to know what to do.Ó
The title of the book refers to the scarifying period when as a boy of just 11 he was sent off to work and left quite alone at Loves Creek Station, a long way from the homestead, for up to three months at a time, making sure the soaks were flowing and the troughs full to water the cattle.
ÒIt was just me and the cattle and dingos for company.
ÒNo meat or real food. I was expected, as an Aborigine, to just know how to live off the land. But I had been in institutions all my life and didnÕt have any idea of what to do.Ó
Thankfully after a few terrifying, panic-stricken days, and especially nights, old people, Òwild AboriginesÓ, found him and stuck around for a while, showed him friendship, taught him some bush skills Ð Òthey pretty much saved my lifeÓ.
The contact with the old people was a turning point Ð ÒI felt better about being black and spending time in the bushÓ Ð but the traumatic experience of his enforced periods of solitude stayed with Alec.
ÒToday I still dread being left alone,Ó he writes.Ó I get terrible panic attacks where I can scarcely breathe.Ó
A long and fruitful life was in front of him, happier times as the dedication of the book and the presence of his large family at the launch make clear, as well as struggles. Writing the book was designed Òto be a gently healing journey for himÓ, guided by counsellor and co-writer Gerard.
The book also has a political agenda: by providing an account of the way Òoppressive government practices and abusive individualsÓ shaped the life of Alec and his family and friends, it provides insight, argue the authors, into the reasons for the present-day plight of many Aboriginal people in Central Australia.
Many of us have by now heard many stories of the stolen generation but they still have power to shock. As Alec writes: ÒI look at my young grandkids and think I was their age when I was left along at the soaks. It is unbelievable. It just wouldnÕt happen today.Ó
Territory Administrator Ted Egan, speaking at the launch, described the removal of mixed race children as Òa vindictive, awful policyÓ: ÒIt was genocidal Ð thatÕs not too emotional a word to use.Ó There were murmurs of agreement and applause.
But there were survivors, Alec and others.
Doreen Franey remembered a childhood of hungry, often violent times at the Gap Cottages but Òbeing poor half-castes didnÕt stop us,Ó she said.
ÒWe survived and continue to do so and weÕll always remember the ones who didnÕt come back.Ó
Alec survived and, as he says, moved on.
His Òloving and beautiful wife NitaÓ and their family gave him the strength he needed.
ÒI learnt to accept and embrace all the changes the world has to offer Ð to treat others with dignity and respect and help those in need.Ó Mayor says we donÕt need Federal cops: would make us look like third world. By KIERAN FINNANE.
The town council has backed Alderman Samih HabibÕs motion to appeal to the Federal Police Minister for help to restore law and order to the streets of Alice Springs.
Only Mayor Fran Kilgariff dissented.
She said it would Òsensationalise the issuesÓ and make Alice Springs Òlook like a third world cityÓ.
It would also allow the Territory Government Òto get away with something they should engage inÓ, said Ms Kilgariff.
She was concerned about council having Òegg on our faceÓ if such assistance proved impossible.
She said she would like to investigate the ÒflowÓ of Territory Police actually ÒfeedingÓ the Federal Police [with recruits].
Ald David Koch responded that Òsome people would think weÕre in the third world anywayÓ.
He said in the area where he works, three businesses have experienced 15 break-ins in two and a half weeks: ÒTheyÕre all after petrol.Ó
He denied things have improved in the last couple of weeks, referring also to two incidents of women known to him being assaulted, one off Lovegrove Drive while taking a daily walk early in the morning (pulled into a ditch by a youth but rescued by two women cyclists and a passing motorist), the other ÒgropedÓ in front of Yeperenye, in broad daylight.
Ald Marguerite Baptiste-Rooke also thought the move may let the NT Government Òoff the hookÓ, but ultimately supported the motion.
ÒPeople are sick of meetings, debates, reports, they want police in the street,Ó she said.
Ald Melanie van Haaren said the motion sounded ÒemotiveÓ but that was because the situation Òis emotiveÓ, referring to the dentist recently hit over the head with a beer bottle in a random attack and receiving Ò52 stitches to his faceÓ.
She said the appeal for Federal help was an Òambit claimÓ but Òwe are desperateÓ.
Ald Murray Stewart said rather than letting the NT Government off the hook, ÒitÕs the reverseÓ.
It would be a message to them, ÒyouÕve failed usÓ.
At their meeting scheduled with the Chief Minister and Police Minister yesterday, that council should demand that they pay for monitoring of CCTV footage, said Ald Stewart.
ÒWe want to prevent crime while itÕs happening.Ó
Ald Geoff Bell said the only problem with the motion was that it didnÕt go far enough: ÒWe should take this to the Prime Minister if we have to.Ó
In closing, Ald Habib said: ÒThe Territory is not a state. The Federal Government is obliged morally and legally to help us.Ó 'Give each other a break.' By KIERAN FINNANE.
ItÕs not every day that a small Aboriginal community in the middle of Australia pops up on the motivational speaker circuit.
But at Amoonguna, some 20 kilometres east of Alice Springs, the health service will try whatever it takes to encourage people to take care of their well-being.
Dave Evans, manager of the clinic, had heard former footballer and Collingwood trainer turned author and speaker Mark McKeon at a conference and thought MarkÕs message was one people at Amoonguna should hear.
Whether it was the AFL link or the promise of a sausage sizzle that drew people in, there was a healthy turnout for the session, held in the community hall.
School children at the front, women to either side, a smattering of staff from different community services among them, men at the back.
Mark began by handing out Collingwood jumpers to the local footy team and then launched into his spiel.
ItÕs all about setting goals, being confident and being persistent.
The goals can be anything, from losing weight Ð and there was a local man whoÕd done very well with that, in an effort to control his kidney disease Ð to getting a particular job.
A member of the audience volunteered that he wanted to become an Aboriginal health worker.
ÒThatÕs a very powerful way youÕve expressed that,Ó said Mark, Ò by saying ÔI want to ... ÔÓ
He said people can train themselves to be confident, by simply pretending to be: after a while Òit starts to happenÓ.
In response to a question about building individual confidence Òin a big family clanÓ, Mark urged people to give each other a break: ÒDonÕt be jealous when someone does something good.Ó
He said individuals are often reluctant to try something because they are Òscared the people they care about will hold them downÓ.
It was hard to gauge what the audience thought about all this. The children were enthusiastic about the little tasks he had them do and loved the girls versus boys footy game on the oval afterwards. Most of the adults drifted quietly away, though a number of the men lined up for Mark to sign their Collingwood merchandise.
Dave thought it had gone well: ÒPeople will go away and think about it.
ÒThere are people in this community with fantastic achievements but people donÕt like to talk about themselves Ð itÕs not a [Aboriginal] cultural thing to do.Ó
Mark says he was then approached individually by five of the men, one at a time, while the sausages were cooking.Ê
ÒOne proudly displayed a well worn, yellowed sheet proving he had completed a course in land care.Ê Another told me of the job interview he had lined up for the coming week, a third about his hopes for the coming footy season.Ê
ÒAnother explained that he was a Ôbush manÕ, that he had never been to a city and how he loved to have space around him. Ê
ÒWhat it showed me, was that while they were reluctant to ÔexposeÕ themselves in a group, they all had passions and dreams and goals and pride.Ê
ÒThat is what we need to foster, because self esteem is the conduit to living happy and successful (in your own terms) lives.Ó
Mark says he was honored to visit Amoonguna and learn so much about the rich culture and heritage that exists there.Ê
ÒI donÕt see it as me going and giving to the community, I see it as a chance to enrich each other.Ê I got as good as I gave!Ó More to camps deal than meets the eye. By ERWIN CHLANDA.
The $50m from the Federal Government for improving Alice town camps will be subject to land being subleased by the current leaseholders to the Territory Government which owns it.
The Alice News understands the convoluted arrangement is necessary to avoid the land reverting to Crown land, even just for an instant, which would expose it to native title claims.
This would occur if one lease is surrendered and another taken out.
The town camps are on NT Government owned Crown land leased under NT law to individual housing associations.
These are independent groups incorporated under NT law.
Federal Minister for Community Services Nigel Scullion, the TerritoryÕs CLP Senator, says the leases would need to be in the hands of an Òappropriate authorityÓ for 99 years for the Federal Government to spend money on them.
ÒWeÕll go with the ones which do go along with this,Ó says Senator Scullion.
The News understands that the authority will be NT GovernmentÕs Territory Housing.
Some blocks Ð schools, community centers Ð within the camps may remain in the hands of the associations currently holding the titles, and roads as well as drainage will become a town council responsibility.
Meanwhile Senator Scullion has placed the blame squarely with the NT Government for the current public furore over the two camps for temporary visitors.
ÒClare Martin asked for help with accommodation of itinerantsÓ and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Mal Brough agreed to contribute $20m and the ex-Woomera dongas.
But at no time was Mr Brough or anyone else from the Federal Government involved in the selection of the two sites, the subject of massive protests at the special sittings of the Legislative Assembly in Alice Springs this week.
ÒThe Northern Territory Government [through NT Lands Minister Delia Lawrie] was entirely in charge of the selection of the two sites,Ó says Senator Scullion.
ÒAny notion that they would now be pointing to us about the selection of sites is absolute baloney,Ó he says.
ÒI wrote last year to Elliot McAdam, the minister at that time, reflectiing on the wider concerns of citizens of Alice Springs, asking if further alternative sites would be considered.
ÒHe neither acknowled my letter nor responded to it.Ó
Senator Scullion says the Darwin-based engineering company, Qantec McWilliam, which recommended the controversial sites, was not engaged by the Federal, but by the NT Government.
The company has subsequently been engaged by the Federal Government to design the camps because it is familiar with the project.
Senator Scullion defended Mr BroughÕs call to hurry up the site selection process Ð which finished up taking more than a year Ð because there were competing demands for the $20m from Òmany areas in Australia with similar challenges, highly mobile communities seeking services at a centre hubÓ.
These included Broome, other places in northern WA, and Queensland. Youth is attacked in broad daylight.
A 13 year old Darwin tennis player, in town for a national juniors tennis event during the Easter break, was attacked by a group of Aboriginal youngsters in broad daylight last Thursday in Todd Mall.
Bruce Scobie of the Alice Springs Tennis Association says the police had nobody available to come to the rescue of the youth and his companions, two local boys.
And neither did any passers by in the mall try to help them.
The incident happened at around midday.
Mr Scobie says the Darwin boy needed to get money from an ATM. As he and his companions walked up the mall they were followed by a group of Òyoung black kids, around 12 of them, ranged in age from probably 10 to 13Ó.
The Darwin boy was punched in the back of the head.
He and his companions took to their heels, ran down the mall and into a shop.
ÒNot a single adult stood up to help,Ó says Mr Scobie.
The boys lingered inside the shop and eventually spoke to a woman working there.
They told her that the boys outside Ð she estimates about 15 of them, some holding their bikes, some with their bikes on the ground Ð wanted to bash them.
She says the boys were Òvery nervous, really uptightÓ.
She fronted the boys outside who confirmed their desire Òto bashÓ the boys inside, saying they were racists.
She says the white boys denied having started anything.
A phone call was made to the tennis association.
Mr Scobie says he told the manager of Red Centre Tennis Academy to ring the police while he went to see the boys.
The manager, Wayne Foote, called 8951 8888, the station number (police are asking people to instead call 131 444). He said the call was diverted, before coming back to the station.
ÒIt took five to 10 minutes to get through.
ÒI was told all officers were busy. The officer I spoke to said he would call the shop-owner, Ò says Mr Foote. The woman in the shop confirms that the police called, and says about half an hour later a patrol car went by.
A tennis coach arrived to pick up the Darwin boy and Mr Scobie walked back to his vehicle with the two other boys.
They saw the group who had attacked them and pointed them out.
ÒWe went straight to the police station,Ó says Mr Scobie.
ÒThey asked me, what do you want us to do. I said, come down to the mall and at least move those kids on. They said, weÕd love to do that but we donÕt have the people.Ó
Later the Darwin boy went to the station and made a statement about the assault on him.
A police spokesperson said:
ÒPolice take all reports of assault seriously.Ê
ÒIn this particular incident police records indicate that it was reported to police by phone at 12.35pm on 12 April and a patrol was immediately dispatched.Ê
ÒPatrols were conducted by vehicle and on foot in the Todd Mall and the Alice Springs Plaza but no alleged offenders fitting the description provided were located.Ê
ÒThe alleged victim later attended theÊAlice Springs front counter at 2.55pm and provided a statement.Ê Unfortunately, as in most incidents of this nature, unless further information comes to hand it is difficult for police toÊapprehend those responsible.
ÒPolice take every opportunity to advise people that the correct number to call when police assistance is required is 131 444, or in an emergency 000.Ó And on a lighter note: Moxie give pollies a cracker. By DARCY DAVIS.
When youÕre a striving, local, independent band, the most important thing to be doing is changing up your style, finding your niche, constantly improving.
The Moxie broke out a whole set of new, rearranged and re-written songs last Sunday afternoon at the community concert on the Convention Centre lawns to open the Alice Springs sittings of the Territory Parliament.
Super Raelene Bros played from five and were never short of a political or ethical message in their music, and always backed it up with their unique desert grooves on a humble set up of bass, kick drum and violin.
I especially loved it when they busted some rhymes in ÒSunny Weather: ÒLivinÕ in Alice / it AinÕt a palace É Finally get down to the Todd Mall / thatÕs where I meet my mate called Paul.Ó
I donÕt know whether itÕs just me, but when I think Warren H Williams, I think slow, country tunes, so I frankly I didnÕt expect much Ð but when he came on stage with his full band I woke up to myself.
ÒOf course, itÕs not just Warren H Williams by himself on an acoustic guitar!Ó
He had a rocking band, with a lead guitarist, fond of screaming guitar solos, and Vincent Lamberti on keyboard, who I was told was reeled in at the last minute and had to learn the chords on the spot (thatÕs not a compromising thing to have to do for someone like Vince).
But it was The Moxie who flew the youth flag for Central Australia, having now firmly established themselves as THE youth band of Alice.
Moxie bass player, Bill GuerinÕs younger sister Claire was there to lend some advice, support and interpretive dance: ÒDonÕt forget to smile Bill!Ó she shouted from the front row.
Inspired by ClaireÕs dancing, the Minister of the Arts, Marion Scrymgour, and Speaker Jane Aagaard, got up and shook their stuff.
IÕd like to say that I did the right journalist thing and sat there with my notebook and jotted down names of songs and the details of them, but I didnÕt. I enjoyed their new songs, theyÕre mixing up their style and genre and taking the time to improve the old songs.
Juggling with changes. REVIEW by KIERAN FINNANE.
The organising principles of most local exhibitions of Aboriginal art are aesthetic and commercial; On Track, an exhibition of contemporary Aboriginal art from Western Australia, is organised around ideas.
The ideas are to do with responses to the vast changes that have occurred in Aboriginal lives over the last century.
And the exhibition, drawn from the collection of the Berndt Museum of Anthropology, is particularly interesting for gathering a number of viewpoints around certain themes.
For example, a work by Julie Dowling makes reference to Mother of God and crucifixion iconography in a political work titled ÒIcon to a Stolen Child: StigmataÓ.
But there is also a simple, reverential image of the ÒMadonnaÓ by Karen Reys.
Not unexpectedly there are a number of works around stolen generation themes, and there are also works of family and community closeness, such as the gentle ÒSistaÕsÓ (sic) by Sharyn Egan, showing one sister checking anotherÕs hair for nits, and the upbeat ÒSadie, Sue and KeithÓ by Sue Wyatt.
ÒDead CowÓ by Jody Broun, showing a bloated white carcass by a asphalted road slicing through the country reads as a critique of the cattle industry and its relationship to the land and its creatures, while ÒDroving to WyndhamÓ by Alan Griffiths skillfully uses motifs and composition of traditional Kimberley painting to render something of a homage to herding and stockmen.
ÒKings Park Picnic, 1934Ó by Primus Ugle and ÒThe Big Fill Ô94Ó by Geoffrey Fletcher document damaging changes in diet.
Once nomadic hunters and gatherers, in 1934 the mob are sitting down, receiving handouts Ð including an ice cream and bananas Ð from missionaries. Sixty years later they are sitting down outside the ÒQuick FoodÓ store, eating a meat pie, fried chicken and chips. There are also statements of cultural assertiveness. ÒWaringarri DancersÓ by Peggy Griffiths impresses with the sheer numbers of people absorbed in ceremonial practice. This would have been a very important occasion.
ÒKeep off the GrassÓ by Jody Broun has a different character altogether. A small group, two women, a child, two dogs, sit impassively on a lawn outside an official building, ignoring the sign that says ÒKeep off the grass Ð shire propertyÓ.
All these ideas are the Òjuggling aroundÓ referred to in the statement that gives the exhibition its title.
ÒThere was all that confusion about culture, trying to come into one culture from another culture ...Ó. Valerie Takao Binder is quoted as saying.
ÒWe had to juggle it around a bit. Now weÕre back on track.Ó
ItÕs interesting to think about what track that is. My feeling was that it is the track of dealing with change, working towards understanding it, expressing feelings and viewpoints about it. The show is at Araluen until April 29.
Meanwhile, more art from WA is on show at Gallery Gondwana.
Its Autumn Exhibition, which opened on the weekend, features paintings from Balgo (Wirrimanu) whose artists are internationally known for their dynamic, often brilliantly coloured and highly textured work.
One of the newest Aboriginal art centres, Tjarlirli Art from Tjukurla in WA, is also included in the show.
Tjarlirli Art was formed in June 2006 out of a desire to draw people back to their birthplace from the communities of Docker River (to the south) and Kiwirrkura (to the north).
The centre is named after one of three sacred rock holes near Tjukurla that has special significance to the women of the region.
Their paintings are mostly traditional in that they tell the stories of important ancestral sites and events.Ê
Many paintings are about people travelling to and from Tjukurla, the rock holes, sand hills and lakes of the area feature prominently. The show runs until 31 May 2007.
Cops have winning.
A lull in gang violence because four ringleaders were behind bars,
phone calls to police being answered quickly, and fast response times
to break-ins marked last weekend when the cops in Alice had the upper
hand over the villains. Cops have winning.
A lull in gang violence because four ringleaders were behind bars,
phone calls to police being answered quickly, and fast response times
to break-ins marked last weekend when the cops in Alice had the upper
hand over the villains. Cops have winning.
A lull in gang violence because four ringleaders were behind bars,
phone calls to police being answered quickly, and fast response times
to break-ins marked last weekend when the cops in Alice had the upper
hand over the villains.