dear god

[highlyeccentric]

It really is Paternalism over again

so the government is banning alchohol consumption among all Indigenous persons in the northern territory, because of "child abuse".

They're docking Centrelink payments (which are already below the breadline), and dictating how indigenous money can be spent: 50 per cent of welfare payments through Centrelink to parents of children in affected areas would be quarantined to prevent all their money being spent on alcohol..."Effectively, the arrangements will be that that 50 per cent can only be used for the purchase of food and other essentials."

"We're going to enforce school attendance by linking income support and family assistance payments to school attendance for all people living on Aboriginal land," he said.
which isn't so bad- although surely there have to be better ways to encourage school attendance.

what is appalling:

"We will be ensuring that meals are provided to children at school, with parents paying for the meals."

you'd think they could *provide* lunch, like the british schools do? but no. Parents must pay. Surely, if the aim is money management, teaching parents how to prepare cheap and healthy school meals is the smart option? and if the aim is nutrition, then damn well pay for it yourselves.

Comments

[phrasemuffin.livejournal.com]

government people suck, no? It is all coming from a nice enough place, I guess, in that they're trying to prevent child abure, but... god, a bit of a brain and a spare heart wouldn't go amiss amongst these people.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

I <3 your icon. i really do :)

[hithluin.livejournal.com]

Eww, the last bit really is horrendous. I could have seen the first bit coming, but that last one is just fucking idiotic. I'd like to know what their justification for that is.