Liddle a mighty voice of common sense in Indigenous affairs

Senator Kerrynne Liddle’s elegant riposte to the perception of universal Indigenous disadvantage deserves greater prominence (“Indigenous not the same as disadvantage”, 30/5). The negative corollary of disadvantage is victim mentality, a sentiment that is strongly inhibitory to self-motivation and advancement. There are numerous instances of Indigenous Australians who, largely as a consequence of education and the opportunities that it creates, have been eminently successful and have made major contributions to Australian society.

As with education, the perception that simply throwing more money at the problem (of Indigenous disadvantage) will solve it is misguided. On this issue, Senator Liddle is in firm agreement with senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (significantly, both women of Indigenous heritage), that the volume of funds dedicated to improving the lot of Indigenous Australians is adequate. It simply needs to be better targeted.

Bill Pannell, Dalkeith, WA

I was very disappointed when Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was demoted from her shadow portfolio of Indigenous affairs, but I am sure she would have been delighted that Kerrynne Liddle replaced her. Like Price, Arrernte woman Senator Liddle knows the reality of so-called closing the gap programs in Indigenous communities, and the suffering caused by Labor’s withdrawal of the cashless debit card for welfare payments.

Activist organisations that hoover up government grants while purporting to help those living in poverty should be audited, and sacked if they have not delivered positive results.

In the meantime, Senator Liddle points out that many Indigenous Australians are doing well.

Roslyn Phillips, Tea Tree Gully, SA

Thanks are due to the gracious senator Kerrynne Liddle for her articulate presentation of where the needs for support are most effective. As she says, “Indigenous is not the same as disadvantage”, and one size of assistance does not fit all.

Small to medium business ventures need assistance with pathways to better commercial successes among Indigenous communities just as in other business environments. The best chances for reaching those careers is by ensuring the children are well-fed and healthy, and these chances, sadly, have been diminished by Labor’s removal of the welfare card.

The ALP government has yet to realise that siding with the noisy minority power groups is not only tilting at windmills but missing the best opportunity to help the most, which is surely what a government should be doing.

Rosemary McGrath, Kensington, SA

Kerrynne Liddle’s voice is a welcome breath of fresh air among the ongoing vociferous calls for treaties and truth-telling.

There is already plenty of money in the system for advancing real results in disadvantaged areas, but unfortunately it is too often being distributed through the filters of grievance, guilt and victimhood. As Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has previously affirmed, funding should be allocated according to need, not race.

Closing the gap, a Western concept, will not be achieved by protesting on January 26 and demanding financial reparations, but by Indigenous citizens having economic participation and using their agency to change their fortunes.

Ultimately, obsessing about the past and exploiting it for further monetary gain will not actually address social disadvantage where it is most prevalent, only gratify those inner-city elites who relish throwing stones at history.

Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic

I am not sure that Greg Sheridan was right in his criticism of the new shadow cabinet. He rightly says Andrew Hastie and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price have special attributes that fit them for particular roles, in Hastie’s case defence and in Senator Price’s case an Indigenous-related portfolio.

However, if these are two rising stars and future leaders, then it’s probably wise to not have them cast into roles where they might end up one-trick ponies. I think it will be some years before they get an official invitation to Yarralumla so there’s plenty of time to reassign them.

Who knows, these other posts they have been assigned may fit them like a glove.

Graham Wheeler, Gulliver, Qld