Henderson's failures are all his own doing, led by a poor set of polices that attack his electoral heartland and a supine surrender to the Federal government's directions -- but he hasn't been helped by the loose cannons rolling around the deck of what passes for the sinking ship of state in the NT.
Mel James (ABC Stateline): Alison Anderson, this sounds very much like the policy that Mal Brough was proposing. It's exactly the same isn't it? Alison Anderson, Indigenous Affairs Minister NT Government: Oh look, this has been a policy that's been delivered and, um, developed by the Henderson Labor government. It's got nothing to do with Mal Brough whatsoever.
Under the Senate's spotlight are the arrangements between the Tiwi Land Council and Great Southern, the promoter of broad-acre MIS forestry schemes on the islands that have seen vast swathes of virgin tropical savanna transformed into a monocrop of the fast growing Acacia mangium.
Colonialism has an insatiable appetite - it is forever hungry, it can never be satisfied, and it recruits both unwitting as well as willing emissaries from the vast ranks and ever-growing number of colonised Aboriginal people.
It is a little too early to tell what the mid-term effects of the collapse of these schemes will have on the viability of what is a valuable and useful agricultural enterprise but it remains to be seen how many of the trees that have been planted will ever be harvested - or just be left to rot in the ground.
Magistrate Loadman said "[I am] not prepared to make the decision on the basis of statements by police officers, this smacking of that hoary old chestnut, "trust me I'm a lawyer" in this case "trust me I'm a policeman". We do not any longer have courts functioning in the manner of the Star Chamber."
"Our seven-year olds can't learn everything in English! The teacher will be saying "Blah Blah"and the children will be saying "Nha, Nha?". That is not good learning." - Djuwalpi Marika, Yirrkala
I'm sure there are some who'd believe Hendo's assertion that he reshuffled his Ministries because of the GFC - but they are most likely face down in a gutter and barely breathing.
The NT Ombudsman's Report for 2007/2008 details a pretty good justification why the NT needs a standing Commission to conduct independent investigations of misconduct by the NT Police, politicians and government agencies.
Marion Scrymgour is Australia's most powerful Aboriginal politician who is fighting for her political life as questions are asked about her fitness and capacity to continue as Education Minister.
