Apartheid: Australian Style 2002

  In Australia today, Indigenous peoples remain the poorest people in society as they have throughout the colonial history of this country. The Government in identifying the causes of this disadvantage cite a deficit in the ability of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander to achieve as other Australians in education and employment. As a consequence there have been countless millions of dollars spent by the Government on policies and programs specifically targeting the historically poor Indigenous education standards and low employment levels. Yet on nearly every indicator the disproportionate levels of Indigenous peoples socio economic disparity persists and is increasing. In reflection on the failure of these polices, the Government totally rejects that any other factors are prevalent and subsequently continue to base the development of Indigenous policies on this deficit model. With a growing immigrant population who are generally oblivious to the history of Indigenous Culture and dispossession in Australia, and are more concerned with pandering to the myth of democracy and capitalism, the Government is gaining more and more support for its racially based policies. Without any Indigenous elected representation in Parliament and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission not having a direct mandate in Indigenous education or employment, these issues are in the control of non-indigenous interests who have a vested interest in maintaining the deprivation of Indigenous socio economic and political rights. This paper describes the nature and serious state of Indigenous rights in Australia and Internationally, and demonstrates the Australian Governments motive and mode in maintaining and increasing Indigenous oppression and disadvantage today.