An alcohol ban or

something else? Is it really going to make a difference?

The Prime Minister of Downunder finally gave in to pressure and went to Alice Springs yesterday. I doubt it has done much good but perhaps he will now have some faint, very faint, idea of the extent of the problems there.

Alice Springs is in the centre of the continent. It is generally dry and dusty. The "river" which runs through it actually boasts a yacht race run over dry ground. 

It is a town which grew up around the Overland Telegraph Line in 1872. The north-south railway line across the continent also passes through it.  Alice Springs is now largely a point of departure for tourist destinations such as Uluru (Ayre's Rock), the Olgas and King's Canyon.

The main indigenous tribe are the Arrernte (pronounced Arundta) people but there are others. There are at least three different languages in use besides English. That is worth noting because language is sometimes used as a weapon, particularly if someone is in trouble with the courts.

Alice Springs and the surrounding area has a very high rate of domestic violence and unemployment. There are major issues with housing, health and education. A great deal of this is alcohol related. Recently the problems have been so great that "intervention" has been discussed by some. 

Things improved for a while under the previous government. They were far from perfect but limits on the sale of alcohol and the introduction of the cashless debit card restricting the amount which could be spent on non-essentials did help.

This government, along with the territory government, removed those restrictions. In doing so they went against the advice of the local elders, mostly the women, who could see that the restrictions had reduced the problems. Now some "restrictions" are back in place but they are minimal and unlikely to make any real difference. All that is said is that you cannot buy take-away alcohol on Mondays and Tuesdays. On other days you will only be able to buy it between 3pm and 7pm.

I doubt it will work. It certainly won't work on its own.

Like everyone else unemployed aboriginal/indigenous people are supposed to be actively seeking work in order to get benefits. The reality however is that many, perhaps most, do not. It is a problem with many unemployed people. They lack education. They lack employable skills. They live in places and under circumstances which make the likelihood of getting and retaining employment unlikely.

When measures which might have some degree of success are suggested  and even on occasion implemented they all too often get dismantled again. Perhaps the funding runs out or the people running a scheme move on or retire. 

There is also another problem which is almost never recognised. This is the way in which some people, often outsiders, demand that any intervention is "culturally appropriate". They demand that language and customs be retained under all circumstances. When indigenous people, often women, do speak up they are told things like, "No, your children must be educated in your own language. They can learn English but it is not their mother tongue. That must be retained." It doesn't matter to these cultural adherents that the same level of materials is not available or that the language lacks the vocabulary for counting the way "white" people do. They see the "preservation of culture" as more important. 

It doesn't matter them that "dot paintings" are not an ancient tradition or that the "welcome to country" arose out of a piece of theatre late last century. A whole industry has grown up around all this. It employs a lot of people but it may not be in the best interests of those in receipt of the programs under which these decisions are made.  Successive governments have listened to those who are more concerned with the retention of "culture" even when it is known to be false than the real needs and wants of indigenous people. That won't change while there is money to be had for perpetuating all this.