Howard supports alcohol bans in Aboriginal communities

Aborigine Michael Long (L), a retired Australian football player, meets Australian Prime Minister John Howard in Canberra. Picture / Reuters

Curfews and alcohol bans may be necessary in Aboriginal communities, Prime Minister John Howard said today, adding that civil liberties were less important than staying alive.

Health and social problems among indigenous people should be solved at a community level, not from the top down, Mr Howard told ABC Television's Insiders program.

"The answer lies in finding solutions at a local level that keep families together, re-assert the authority of parents, instill a greater sense of responsibility in parents and Aboriginal leaders," Mr Howard said.

"Where they want to impose the disciplines of things like alcohol bans and limitations, they should be fully supported by governments and they shouldn't get tangled up with people running around and saying this is some kind of restriction on civil liberties.

"The most important civil liberty is to stay alive and unless people are given the opportunity to do so then you can't really start even talking about civil liberties."

Local Aboriginal leaders were much better placed than any national body to address issues in their own communities, Mr Howard said.

"The most important thing is to recognise there is within many Aboriginal communities, at a local level, a responsible leadership that has a desire to do something," he said.

"If that involves imposing things like curfews and alcohol bans and whatever then we have to be willing to embrace those things."

The new National Indigenous Council (NIC), which will meet for the first time this week, would be the government's principal source of advice on indigenous issues, Mr Howard said.

However, he said the government was willing to "go halfway" with all representatives of the Aboriginal community.

On Friday Mr Howard met with indigenous leaders including Pat and Mick Dodson and former AFL star Michael Long after the footballer walked more than halfway from Melbourne to Canberra to highlight indigenous suffering.

"I am profoundly unhappy, as all Australians should be, at the state of Aboriginal health and I believe very sincerely that the best hope for Aboriginal people in our society is that they share the benefits and the bounty of modern Australia whilst getting respect for their own very distinctive place in our history and our culture," Mr Howard said.

Pat Dodson said he and other Aboriginal leaders were willing to work with the government.

"There's room to negotiate the ways these things can take place but we're all committed to turn around the sadness and the sorrow and the lack of opportunity in the indigenous communities in many places," he told Insiders.

"Instead of being in a position that appears to be oppositional to what the government's position is we're seeking to have a dialogue about the best way to do that, and beyond just our leadership, involve other non-indigenous people who can assist in shifting the problems."

- AAP