Seeing that Anderson is describing a human problem, he would be wiser to expend the same effort on ending the racism he and his party waste so much time on. --- Trudy ================================================ Anderson calls for end to Aboriginal social security "waste" From AAP 4jan00 2.30pm (AEDT) ACTING Prime Minister John Anderson today called on Aboriginal communities to help prevent what he called the waste of social security payments. After yesterday describing social security payment day as "party day" in some Aboriginal communities, he told Melbourne radio station 3AW this morning the payments were "often wasted". Admitting to "slightly provocative language", Mr Anderson, who is also the leader of the National Party, said there was a cycle of welfare dependency in the Aboriginal community. "But to be more general about it ... there's a bit of a cycle of welfare dependency ... we have to help break that ... we have to help find more jobs � and that welfare money itself is often wasted." Mr Anderson, acting prime minister over the holiday period, said he was not trying to slight anyone or condone that sort of behaviour. "It wasn't borne out of a lack of compassion or concern, just the opposite," he said. "I just think it's time we stop sweeping this under the carpet and said: 'hey, we're dispossessing a generation of young Aboriginal people of their opportunity to reach their potential."' Mr Anderson said his original comments were prompted by a tragic story about a family of children who broke into their school canteen to get something to eat because they were starving, he said. "When social security payments are made, and so forth, there is often a pretty major party to be had somewhere in town and the drinking and the gambling can be a real problem," Mr Anderson said on the ABC's AM program yesterday morning. However he did not back down from his opinion this morning, when he told 3AW that welfare money was often wasted. "And they were starving because there was no money left in the house. It had all gone in the first couple of days after payment," he told 3AW. Mr Anderson said part and parcel of reconciliation and improved relations was to have effectively working communities in rural Australia. It was therefore necessary to use resources effectively and listen to people at the local level and not just look at the big picture, he added. He also said that many of the Aboriginal elders said to him that "we've got to grapple with this. We've got to do something about it." ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 and is archived at http://www.mail-archive.com/ To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use." RecOzNet2 is archived for members @ http://www.mail-archive.com/recoznet2%40paradigm4.com.au/
