Language of Rights is Wrong for Bush Talks

Wendy Craik of the National Farmers Federation uses language that points to a more practical issue than human rights. She said, "the NFF is concerned that the gradual reduction in services... especially in the areas of banking, health and education are impacting on some of the rights outlined". (My emphasis). Differentials in access to health and education have always existed between city and country, but the gap has become even more pronounced as technology has provided the city with increasingly more opportunities and services. The focus must be on providing better access to these services for the bush, not on the esoteric notion of rights.

The answers to the myriad of structural problems in the bush will ultimately be found in harnessing the power of technology, including telemedicine, satellites, digital communications and the Internet -. not from UN conventions and the liberal notion of rights, as intrinsically important to our life as they may be.

The Government has taken steps to offset the uneven impact of change. The Regional Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund is a $250 million investment in bush communications. The Government has announced improved incentives for Rural Health Professionals. More than any other commitment, by providing support to restore basic telephony, fax, banking and Medicare Claim services through Rural Transaction Centres in small country towns, the Government is recognizing the need to provide very basic services in the bush that the city takes for granted.

There is a long way to go before public policy comes fully to grips with the extent of dislocation and perceived disadvantage in some rural communities. The problems reflect an economy in transition, an exposure to wide fluctuation in commodities markets, and the particular problems that distance poses in Australia for communication. However, the steps undertaken by the Howard Government provide a recognition of the issues and the first constructive steps, probably for over a decade, to addressing them.

In the mean time, Chris Sidoti will continue his bush walkabout. If the HREOC can become relevant to mainstream concerns then the Bush Talks programme will mean something. If it can help prioritize the efforts to close the gap between the city and some rural communities, it will be worthwhile. In the final analysis, if nothing else, Chris Sidoti’s forums are providing a useful and constructive vent for rural community frustration.

As one contributor to the forum said, "... this is the chance we have been waiting for to speak our mind... young rural people in general, will embrace the opportunity to express their point of view with open arms on issues affecting them Australia-wide". There is a sense that the wider community had forgotten about the bush and allowed it to slip even further behind the city than it has always been.

Bush Talks won’t be a seminal work in Australia’s political and social history, but, if nothing else, it is an opportunity to bring that bit of bush that resides in all Australians back to the surface.