Even though there are major problems in the Central Desert areas where petrol sniffing is rife and has spread to other townships where it is visible. Petrol sniffing has been known in Australia for the last twenty years or more among the Aboriginal community and has done considerable damage in regards to mental health, chronic disease's, suicide, domestic violence, poor diet and sexual abuse among children and women.  The local, state and federal governments knew for years of this abuse. (But one has to remember the history of Australia, namely 'The White Australia policy' that is still integrated within certain institutions where there are still trace elements and the impact of that policy that contained and insulated Aboriginal people).  For only a few years before under Prime Minister Howard 'Liberal' (conservative) government coinciding with the Northern Territory government introduced a intervention policy and placed many Aboriginal people living there under a “welfare quarantine” system. Though there was an outrage against the quarantine system where the community was divided where the main focus was on parents who did not feed their children properly.   Not much focus was on the carpet-baggers selling cheap grog at high prices and petrol for exchange for sexual favors (they were not Aboriginal).  For at the time the media, namely 'The Australian' newspaper, which is incidentally owned by Rupert Murdock; bombarded the Australian public with 'horror' stories of the Central Desert area of rampant abuse.  To my recollection they did expose only a few people across the board, not a vast majority that and yes there is abuse in these communities and the local police are well aware of it.  Even though records of abuse are on record within the Department of Social Services and relervant Health Organisations and in confidence, the media always looking for a snoop did sensationalise stories to reinforce stereotypes of Aboriginal people as wretched. Not to mention the media treatment of 'Secret Men Business' which was the apex of demonising Aboriginal Law as lewd behavior within the context of Post Modernism - the parody and appropriation of the 'other'.  Oh yeah, I forgot it was an election year for Mr Howard.  Nevertheless the Howard government had to ratify the 'racial discrimination act' so that it appeared fair and equable to the outside world, namely the UN.  They also enforced 'compulsory acquisition' of lands within the 'Native Title Act' to gain access of Aboriginal land.  Though this act has to be agreed upon by the two parties involved that includes Aboriginal people, transparency and inclusiveness was not clear at first as the mass media attention was on the abuse and social decay of Aboriginal communities in the remote areas.  Remembering that Aboriginal reserve land areas hold untapped mineral resources such as uranium,gold, gas, bauxite, etc.  One wonders of the shell-games regarding the government.  I remember years ago in Western Australia where a local Aboriginal community were protesting an area that was a sacred-site. A Multi-national mining company wanted to mine the bauxite on that area.  Apparently the state government ran a media campaign everyday during meal-time (so subtle) against the Aboriginal community stating that Aboriginal rights movement would divide the state, not to mention it was the State Election in that particular year. The mining company won, the state premier won and guess who had a major investment in the bauxite, a Mr Murdock.  No booby prizes to who owns News limited in Australia.

 

Aboriginal people are still in a sense marginalised within their own country, considering that they were not even recognised as citizens until the 1967 Australian referendum that gave Aboriginals the right to citizenship. And yes the present Prime Minister of Australia, Mr Rudd has said 'sorry' to Aboriginal people concerning past atrocities and injustices and has signed on to the UN 'Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples', though the wording within this document is 'limited' rights concerning Aboriginal people and the Liberal government has annouced that they will roll back this policy when they are re-elected.  So the beat goes on.  There has been steady pathways where health, education, employment and training is gaining a postive foothold in some regional communities but the problems are still entrenched within the mindset -  some communities have exchanged upgrading their communities for mineral exploration of their lands.  On one hand it appears to be a positive thing but on the other hand the environmental costs could be costly - considering that Australia has a vast underwater (spring) basin that could be easily contaminated. Alas, poor yorick - Time will tell.