Past Programs
Indigenous - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander - 2008
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Carnivals in peril as NT intervention kicks in
28/11/2008
The federal government's intervention in the Northern Territory may been putting a tradition at risk. And while the tradition does not date back thousands of years, it has become a familiar aspect of life in some of the most isolated Indigenous communities in the Territory. Travelling carnivals have a long history of visiting remote communities and providing entertainment, but the implementation of compulsory income management under the NT intervention has left Aboriginal families with precious little cash to spend on fun fairs. But is that a bad thing? A recent report in The Australian newspaper suggested some carnies have been charging up to eight dollars for a three-minute ride on the dodgem cars. And that means some parents are happy to see the carnies leave town.
The racist name blame game
24/10/2008
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but can nicknames ever hurt me? It's a debate which has raged for years in the Queensland town of Toowoomba over the name of a grandstand at the city sports ground. The stand was named after ES 'Nigger' Brown, a famous footballer and city councillor from the 1920s who acquired the ironic moniker as a result of his fair complexion. But when writer and academic Stephen Hagan took his family to watch a rugby match, he was shocked by the 'n-word' and set out to have it removed. The campaign, which took him to the High Court and the United Nations and, finally, the redevelopment of the sports ground, brought him victory. Many locals still argue that taking offence at a nickname is political correctness gone mad. Yet the campaign continues: Mr Hagan is questioning the makers of Coon cheese about the origin of the brand name.
Close NT poll places independent at centre-stage
10/08/2008
The final result of Saturday's election in the Northern Territory may not be known until Friday, after the counting of postal votes. Today, Labor appears to be ahead by just 57 votes in the Darwin seat of Fannie Bay - the seat vacated at the polls by former Chief Minister Clare Martin. If the final count gives the electorate to the Country Liberals, the CLP, then the Territory Assembly will be divided 12 all: that's 12 for Labor, 12 for the CLP, with independent MLA Gerry Wood holding the decisive vote. But even if Labor wins Fannie Bay, it will be hoping Mr Wood is amenable to the idea of becoming speaker. And that's a big assumption to make.
Tax the Chardonnay socialists
06/06/2008
Last week the National Interest put forward a controversial idea: a review of the way we tax alcohol. The idea is simple: forget about tweaking alcopop prices and start taxing products in line with their alcoholic content. In other words, the stronger the drink, the higher the tax. Alice Springs doctor John Boffa argued that getting fiscally physical with fortified wines and chateau cardboard could reduce the damage done by alcohol. But is the chardonnay set ready for a tax on wine linked to alcohol content? Possibly not, and on the National Interest today wine producers will argue that pushing up the price of wine won't solve the health and violence problems associated with excessive boozing. Do they have a point, or are we simply safeguarding the tastes of inner-suburban trendies?
