The minister may also do well to re-examine his strategy of indulging in pally chats with shock-jocks and alleged opinion makers.
In mid-May, Brough had a public heart-to-heart with Lawsy on Big John’s morning radio show. The minister switched to hypothetical mode so that he could smear Indigenous Australia with a level of impunity. “... if you’ve got children being raped all over the place, if the community isn’t game to talk about it, and there’s more than one operating in a community, you can split hairs and call it whatever you like ...”
Brough succeeded only in undermining Indigenous communities.
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This sort of loose talk might play well among the rednecks who have fixed views about Black Australia, but it deprives the minister of the credibility he needs to negotiate effectively with Indigenous leaders.
Recently, Professor Mick Dodson spoke at a luncheon in Melbourne convened with the worthy aim of getting reconciliation in this country back on track.
Dodson expressed a lack of confidence in Brough, and said that only the Prime Minister could drive the necessary changes.
“I can talk to the boss about the cock-up with one of his staff,” Dodson observed, before going on to give Brough a bake for his misrepresentation of customary law.
In late July, Jana - some people in this country only need one name - showed footage of Brough sitting in the dust at Wadeye, tackling some first-order issues with the locals.
“I want you to clean up the rubbish,” he told them, jaw set in the manner of an ex-army captain who expects orders to be followed rather than questioned.
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On May 16, Brough appeared on the Lateline program, making unsubstantiated claims about “pedophile rings” operating in remote communities.
As Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin was quick to point out, if the minister has evidence of serious criminal activity he should place it in the hands of the police.
The Brough office is currently involved in a protracted game of “no-speaks” with the National Indigenous Times newspaper.
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