COMMENT by DON FULLER

Dr Fuller provided this text in part to expand on the comments by editor ERWIN CHLANDA in the New Year’s Day edition.

Increasingly, NT citizens are questioning the moral conduct and integrity of government, viewing it as not fit for purpose, and often corrupt. They see politicians as focused mainly on their personal careers, fighting their way to the top through patronage and factional infighting and then leaving to use information acquired in government, to work for their own benefit, on very large salaries in business organisations.

These problems have been magnified by a lack of concern in the NT for the main principles of a Westminster style democratic government and have involved governments dismantling some of the key requirements.

These include ignoring Ministerial Codes of Conduct for post-employment and politicizing senior levels of the NT Public Service and the NT Police Force.

The foundations of a merit based Public Service with security of tenure have been demolished. Inequitable, unfair and unjust treatment, favouring senior levels of the Public Service and NT Police, have become the norm.

Accountability, openness and transparency in government essential underpinnings of a democratic government have virtually disappeared into a Mafia-like den of secrecy!

There have been major failures in governance in the Territory, particularly since Self-Government in 1978. Successive NT governments have been unable to bridge the differences in cultures in the main demographic groups in the Territory.

This is surprising since many of the early proponents of Self-Government of the Territory such as Ron Withnall, Bernie Kilgariff, Goff Letts, Dick Ward and Harry Chan for example, were individuals who respected racial differences and diversity and differences of intellectual tradition and thought.

However, the NT seems to be a clear example of the difference that occurs between visions and achievements due to serious problems of implementation occurring following Self-Government. It brought to the fore a completely different set of priorities that often seemed to prioritize individual political wealth seeking over concerns for the wider Territory population.

In addition, the them vs us adversarial position adopted between the main racial groups in the Territory sowed the seeds for what the Territory now reaps.

What is particularly noteworthy is that such a difference in approach was unnecessary in those early days as racial harmony was one of the defining successes of the Territory.

It appears that as the actual implementation of Self-Government proceeded in the Territory this them vs us morphed further into the presence of a troubling group of business oligarchs with close and apparently secretive relationships with some senior politicians.

A culture developed of what goes on in the Territory, stays and is OK in the Territory. Beside the many other problems associated with this approach was the fact that most people, especially Aboriginal people, were completely excluded from such governance and wealth seeking arrangements.

This cultural shift in governance responsibilities had major implications for the proper functioning of democratic government in the form of government for the people.

From this grew an acceptance of a lack of accountability and openness and transparency in government which seriously impedes government in the Territory today. It is, as if a governance structure has now grown in the Territory that would only be acceptable in some developing African states.

What can be expected following this serious slide in the ethics and principles of good governance in the Northern Territory?

As I have pointed out previously, the evidence is clear that there is likely to be higher levels of corruption and mismanagement, limited economic development, retarded growth and employment and a higher level of social conflict in the Northern Territory.

A number would argue that such indicators are already obvious.

Fewer and fewer companies and organisations will be prepared to risk an environment so badly governed and uncertain, with the accompanying unacceptably high levels of risk.

This can be expected to undermine government revenues further and in turn limit the capacity of the Territory government to protect and develop their residents through the further hollowing out of education, health and police and justice systems, for example.

Basic infrastructure such as power, roads and communication systems are also likely to be affected.

Very importantly, the risks are likely to be even more troubling for the Territory.

The particular demographic structure of the Territory means that rapidly increasing social problems – associated with marginalised Aboriginal societies who are untrusting of government. They are also dealing with collapsing Aboriginal law, culture and social structures which are likely to increase further, with very serious implications for residents of the Territory.

Such increased social dislocation, with the associated problems of disharmony and violence, are likely to gather pace with an important section of the NT community unable to develop strong, ethical and reliable linkages with leadership in government.

Ethical and responsible leadership is vital at the senior levels of pParliamentary democracy and government to set the necessary standards and examples to individuals, institutions and organisations in society.

Successful democratic governments also require and encourage a high level of community participation rather than operating as a closed, self-interested, separate, them vs us club.

There is likely to be nowhere more important in Australia that this occurs rapidly than in the Northern Territory.

Without such leadership, the NT is bound to fail and the compounding negative consequences are likely to be increasingly severe for Territory residents.

This will continue and escalate until Northern Territory political leaders appreciate they are elected to serve all members of the public in an ethical and responsible manner, rather than their own private interests.

The current Chief Minister seems beset by the unfortunate tragedy of modern democratic politics involving the pursuit of office without a guiding vision or understanding of the foundations of good governance.

This inevitably results in a failure of leadership.

However, alongside such serious governance failures has been a failure of governance in key Indigenous organizations such as land councils. These organizations are in serious need of review and reform.

Failures in these important Aboriginal organisations often affect marginalized and poor Aboriginal people to a greater extent than the obvious failures occurring in Non-Aboriginal governance in the Territory. This is because Non-Aboriginal people with higher levels of education and skills for a mainstream economy, find it far easier to adapt and overcome barriers.

As pointed out by Warren Mundine recently, despite the vast land resources owned by Aboriginal groups in the Territory, the fundamental building blocks of a successful market based economy in Australia are absent due to land rights legislation, and the suffocating presence of the Land Councils with their large, unwieldy, expensive bureaucracies.

This inability to build economic activity on Aboriginal land sets up a self-reinforcing cycle of very weak business activity, low school attendance, low educational outcomes, social dysfunction and crime.

However, while Aboriginal people suffer the most as owners of these assets, their non-productive use also affects the economic and social situation of Australians as a whole, in a substantial way.

This is occurring as royalties meant for desperate Aboriginal people are being funnelled by bodies associated with Land Councils, into long term asset accumulation for purposes unknown.

Governments at both the NT and Federal levels have shown a disturbing inability to confront such major maladministration and wastage of resources.

There is little doubt for example, even amongst many Aboriginal people that land councils are acting as a serious barrier to the economic and human development of Aboriginal people and preventing the economic use of huge assets of Aboriginal land for doubtful purposes such as long-term wealth building investments.

PHOTO (supplied): Central Land Council delegate group meeting in April 2023 supporting a Yes vote in the Voice referendum which was not successful. Dr Fuller describes land councils as a serious barrier to the economic and human development of Aboriginal people and comments on the use of “huge assets of Aboriginal land” for doubtful purposes such as long-term wealth building investments.