The usual vocal representatives of the Aboriginal misery industry have been conspicuous by their absence in Crikey this week on the Aurukun case. Perhaps they’re too upset by the travails of Geoff Clark.
But after all we’ve read in Crikey of its evils, it’s fascinating that new Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin is meeting Queensland Premier Anna Bligh to discuss whether the Commonwealth’s Indigenous intervention should now extend to the state in the wake of fury over the gang rape of a 10-year-old girl.
It’s pretty clear that child abuse prevention is failing across the country. Just look at what has been happening on the watch of the NSW Department of Community Services. Look at the methamphetamine-using mother who was sentenced in South Australia earlier this week after killing her infant daughter.
But the Aurukun case – and the other revelations from Queensland that ministers ordered Department of Child Safety workers not to tell police about hundreds of cases of suspected child abuse and neglect on Cape York — are exacerbated by political correctness.
The Road to Surfdom carried a particularly bizarre example of this yesterday . “We’re not singling out those poor backward blackies for special attention again are we,” it asked.
The issue seems clear. The politically correct view on all of this is that it is better for a 10-year-old to be r-ped than stay with white foster parents.
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