Look again

A few posts ago I spoke about Noel Pearson's exposé of what is necessary for Aboriginal peoples' economic advancement. In an earlier article, he was eager to "make clear that my position has never been that the total expenditure on indigenous affairs is too large" [italics mine]. Indeed he argued that "It is patently obvious that during the past 222 years, the pendulum has never swung too far in favour of Aboriginal Australians in any political, social, economic or cultural sector of society."

Pearson's article was written in response to Tony Abbott's categorisation of 'welcome to country' as "genuflection to political correctness". Pearson argues that this sort of comment serves to foster the idea that Aboriginal people have too much of everything.

"It is wrong to start a debate in any indigenous policy area about whether Australia should move from a low level to an even lower level. Doing so contributes only to the perception that the low level is an excessive level and we need to cut down on these excesses because the pendulum has swung too far."

Noel Pearson, "It's Uplifting to Stand on Ceremony," The Weekend Australian, Focus section, March 20-21, page 12.