Beware of Pearson's Trojan Horse

This argument is ridiculous, it pre supposes that Aboriginal people have had rights, when this is not the case.

There is nothing wrong with the notion of Aboriginal people engaging in the real economy, but as Noel Pearson points out; "to overcome the problems of our history, we have to deal with the facts of failure and the reasons for them". I agree. Let’s not make the mistake though that our ongoing circumstance of injustice, oppression and denial, can be fixed by making ‘structural adjustments’. This is just too simple.

It is also too simplistic to suggest that the relationship between Indigenous people and other Australians can be defined by economic goals alone. A new direction in Indigenous affairs is certainly required, but it is questionable whether new social policy should become a substitute for the absence of any national rights-based approach.

The facts of failure and the reasons for them rest with a country that’s not prepared to give a rights agenda a ‘fair go’. Perhaps for starters, we should be asking our governments if any are prepared to clawback lost native title rights, re-orient organisations like ATSIC towards the community, and delegate responsibility to communities to fix problems. A good starting point at least?