New legislation in Australia is trying to be passed. The government hopes to ban hardcore pornography and alcohol from indigenous tribes where an official report stated that these factors were major contributors to child sex abuse. Unemployment and poverty also fueled child abuse. Australian officials hope to also force the tribes to use a part of their welfare money to be put towards buying essentials (for example food or clothing) for their children. The legislation will only be directed at the aboriginal tribes, and members of these tribes are complaining the new law is discriminatory. However, the government came right out and admitted it! “Mal Brough, the indigenous affairs minister, said the government was prepared to bypass anti-discrimination laws "in the interest of saving children".”
Aborigines are complaining that the government has no right to mess with their affairs. After all, who are they to say how to raise children? Australian streamline culture is more than likely very different from the culture of the indigenous tribes. These tribes live under a strictly apartheid system. For thirty years, nonmembers and outsiders have had to go through a series of steps in order to be granted permission on their land. They believe this is how it should be, and the Australian government is crossing a cultural boundary by attempting to pass this new legislation.
The opposition Labour party in the Australian government has yet to decide whether it will be for or against the legislation, but “the ruling coalition’s majorities in both houses of parliament mean the government is unlikely to need opposition backing.” This means that no matter what the lobbyists say or do, will basically have no effect on whether or not the law gets passed.
My thoughts are as follows. It’s contradictory to call the Australian government racist if they are helping the very children in the tribe that the law is discriminatory against. I also think that the government should be trying to help the children of the aborigine tribes. The law may be discriminatory, but think of all the positives aspects. Perhaps members of the tribe want to help their alcohol addiction, yet need a lift or a helping hand. This law will do just that. It also forces the tribe members to put away some of their money to help have a higher standard of living. For example more food and clothing for their children.
I can understand why they would want an almost foreign government to butt out of their business. (Although the tribes live in Australia, they do not have the same culture nor follow the same laws, so it might seem foreign to them.) But who else is going to take care of the problem? Obviously their hierarchy tribe members aren’t, and the children need help.
I think it’s more important to stand up for little kids than to try to ignore it just because it appears to be racist. Who’s to say that the Australian government wouldn’t pass the same legislation against a group of white people? If there’s a problem – fix it. No matter what the government does, someone is always going to find something to complain about. At least the Australian officials were humble enough to come straight out and admit that their legislation was discriminatory.
