Everything is possible, the impossible just takes longer

Alcohol and drug dependency, although not a major problem in the past, is today out of control and is seen as the primary cause of all anti social behaviour and rampant violence that taints communities and creates dysfunction within family units. Alcohol and drug detoxification centres should be built just outside the communities, but within walking distance, and be fully staffed by professionals as well as appropriate community members to wean our affected mob off their addictions.

With extensive community consultation an alcohol management plan should be developed to regulate hours and sales quantity of alcohol, selling low strength alcohol only or banning the sale of alcohol altogether.

As a deterrent to the alcohol and drug runners their boats and vehicles should be confiscated or sold and the proceeds from crime used for identified community projects.

Unemployment has created an idle, passive group of people living within our communities who will sink further into the quagmire of despair of their own making the longer it is allowed to fester.

We should double the old CDEP annual allocation and make work compulsory for all participants for a minimum of four days a week at the award rate (only applicable to a possible incoming Labor government who can rename the project because the Howard administration has rendered CDEP defunct).

Training should be compulsory in plumbing, carpentry and horticulture and industries created to enhance community and personal wealth.

This is taking on responsibility and building community capacity. It is developing essential skills to fix issues like plumbing or basic repairs and maintenance projects that have been left dangerously unattended in rented homes for too long. The new pay scale will increase community member’s personal income base which will make home ownership an affordable reality.

Every five hectare property should have its own fruit and vegetable patch as well as a dozen chickens in a special enclosure to supplement the family’s diet and lessen the burden on their grocery bills.

I’d much rather see children collect eggs than empty beer bottles and cans.

Education is a major problem in most communities as most schools fail dismally to reach the national bench marks in years 3, 5 and 7 for numeracy and literacy. Teachers in discrete communities on a base salary should be remunerated if they achieve the bench marks with a sizeable boost to their pay. If they don’t reach it then they shouldn’t get any bonuses or they should be moved out of the community and replaced with more committed teachers.

Teachers in consultation with community leaders and parents should identify the smarter children for scholarships in Years 11 and 12 and then onto tertiary studies.

If you think this is all beyond the good folk living in discrete communities, think of Albert Hagan. He started off with no government welfare to depend on, while trying to provide for a growing family in a tin humpy, with no running water or electricity, in an era where Indigenous people had no rights.

Albert dared to think outside the box and commenced a legacy that was emulated on July 13 in Darwin when his son and grandson became the first father and son ever to win consecutive national NAIDOC awards in different categories for outstanding achievements as Person of the Year 2006 and Elder of the Year 2007.

To this day I still reflect on the triumph of the effective child rearing practices passed on through the generations from my great grandmother Trella whenever I read Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ famous quote “If you bungle raising your children I don’t think whatever else you do well - matters very much”.