The Really Desperate Need For Jobs Is Right In Our Own Backyard

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday April 29, 2008

Your front-page article "Rich and poor share a harvest of plenty" (April 28) ignores the fact that indigenous Australians will not be sharing in the harvest from wages paid to workers employed harvesting.

The scheme to import "blackbirds" (indentured Pacific islanders) ignores the fact almost 50 per cent of our indigenous population are unemployed, and many are affected by alcohol abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse and petrol sniffing as a consequence of the resulting idleness, feelings of worthlessness and dependence upon government largesse.

The Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, should exercise some initiative to develop a program to involve urban and remote indigenous Australians in addressing the shortfall of 22,000 unskilled workers in the horticultural industry.

The World Bank, which supports the importation of Pacific islanders to solve the labour shortfall, as does the former foreign minister Alexander Downer, would be well advised to visit places such as Alice Springs, Cape York and many remote country towns to observe the endemic abject poverty that exists in Aboriginal communities.

The importation of labour from the Pacific islands to solve our domestic labour crisis will cause the problem of imported labourers overstaying their visas, which would not be a problem with indigenous Australians.

If our governments are sorry, they should take advantage of this employment opportunity and pay for indigenous Australians to travel to and live in areas where there are labour shortages, with the proviso the money will be refunded over time from the award rates paid to the workers.

We have a history in Australia of not paying our indigenous workers. To the doubters, ask Cathy Freeman about her great-grandfather Frank Fisher, who fought in World War I and was not paid a cracker.

This labour shortage presents a unique opportunity to give unemployed indigenous people some self-respect and purpose in life that should not be missed. It also may show other Australians that governments are genuine in their efforts to assist indigenous Australians and will pay them for work they do.

Russell Sweet Sydney