Musical Dispatch from the Front – Power and Influence – September 2025
Frank Baarda
हेलो फिर से मेरे दोस्तों
A few days ago, Patricia Karvelas on the ABC’s ‘Afternoon Briefing’ interviewed NT Senator Price. The good Senator made a remark accusing the Labor government of using immigration policy to boost their electoral chances by selectively encouraging immigration from groups more likely to vote for them. The Senator singled out the Indian community as an example of what she was talking about. The reaction to that remark is best described as the shit hitting the fan.
Completely under the radar was her companion remark on Labor’s tactics in Aboriginal communities.
JNP (verbatim)- “ … You see the way they like to influence the indigenous community, the remote communities, the unions, it’s ultimately about power … but over the years we’ve seen the way in which they conduct themselves and even more so from somebody who is connected to the indigenous community and the sentiments, ah, around there are those who don’t have the same sort of educational background or ability to stand back and go, well what are the policies that work for us, what don’t, no they get their claw into communities and basically have them believe that Labor is what’s going to take them out of their out of away from adversity and give them the opportunities that they want but ultimately they end up being far more dependent on Labor and the welfare system.”
(Remember Hilary Clinton and the 'Deplorables'?)
Goddonya Jacinta, blame the fact that on communities your vote was abysmal and that in the referendum remote communities overwhelmingly voted YES on manipulation by Labor of those uneducated blacks.
Trust and Respect have to be mutual to be real.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0J-LiX7WEM
Janis Joplin Trust Me
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYbs_O_iMfU
Aretha Franklin - Respect (1967) HD 0815007
Frank,
PS The next Dispatch will be about Yuendumu’s Welcome Arch.
If you have any reminiscences to share re the arch please send them to me, I may use them. Also let me know if it’s ok to use your real name or not.