Tuesday, December 1, 2009

TERRITORY BRANDED A FAILED STATE


An editorial in the national newspaper ,The Australian, (November 30,p17), said that if the federal government could sack state or territory governments like states are able to fire corrupt or non -performing local councils, the Rudd government would have a “watertight case” to dismiss the “ incompetent, meanminded ” NT Labor government. The editorial was headed CYNICAL POLITICS OF THE WORST KIND IN THE NT .

After listing all the shortcomings of the NT government , especially in relation to the expenditure to improve the lot of the indigenous community , the leader ended up by stating that if the NT could not do better, “the Rudd government has no choice but to move in.”

If this- the national newspaper branding the NT a failed state - is not a local news story, then what is ? Not a mention, not a follow up in the local media directly linking it to this scathing criticism of government . Of course, spin – denying the bleeding obvious – was issued . You frequently wonder if the local establishment, including the media, is aware that there is a world outside the Berrimah line where the media runs reports about political, financial, mining and global events which could/will impact on the Territory .