Another (inherently) Musical dispatch from the front

‘High Noon’, being re- enacted by NT Police 2.00 pm Matinee, and half price for kiddies. Available on weekdays double matinee 2.00 pm and 3.30 pm on Queens Birthday. (even though she’s DEAD).

Dear reader,

another one from Frank of the Near North-West Frontier.

The place they now call ‘Camp Rolfe’, (formerly Yuendumu), where on any day at any given time, there’s a remake of ‘High Noon’ under the sun-drenched streets of this outback settlement.

Yuendumu Locals still can’t get good mobile reception. I ARKS YA!

Will Gary Copper save the day? Will Chips Rafferty walk on set and say something really profound like; ‘Jeez it aint arf hot’! Or will justice prevail and any local ‘n’er do wells’ will get their comeuppance from those who wear black and are determined to uphold the law so that the streets of Camp Rolfe are safe.

Safe from Jay walkers, Fare evaders, Fine Shirkers, and those who would suggest that a ‘ Police State’ may not be a viable alternative. to a lifetime of certain and cleansing INCARCERATION!

Stand with us, as we salute Frank. Who alone, remote and unrequited taps away on his Imperial. Cos out in the outback it’s pretty much colonial and Queen Victoria is still thought to be the sovereign of this wide and mighty land.

Frank writes;

G’day amigos,

John Allen Paulos’ 1988 book ‘Innumeracy’ opens with:

Two aristocrats are out horseback riding and one challenges the other to see which can come up with the larger number. The second agrees to the contest, concentrates for a few minutes, and proudly announces, “Three.” The proposer of the game is quiet for half an hour, then finally shrugs and concedes defeat.

The premise of Paulos’ book is that Innumeracy is in comparison to Illiteracy very underrated as a serious problem in society.

Two aristocrats when not Horseback Riding, taking the public for a ride instead.

Let me throw some numbers at you:

Yuendumu police complex built in 2014 at a cost of $ 7600000

US military aid to Ukraine for year ended mid-January 2023 $US 46600000000000

Alleged street value of record Australian drug bust March 2023 $ 1000000000

Australian military aid to Ukraine $ 475000000

Amount pledged by Australian prime minister to help deal with Alice Springs crime wave $250000000

Qantas Dec2022 half year profit $ 1430000000

NT Budget mid 2022 NT Police $ 510000000

At the Coronial inquest the second highest ranking NT policeman talked about efforts to reform NT Policing. He reckons 300 more personnel are needed as well as $ 500000000 to provide inter alia adequate housing to remote police.

Prisons cost the NT taxpayer $146600000 per annum

Annual cost per adult prisoner in the NT $ 122496

It all makes me feel like an aristocrat on horseback