Any town or city dwellers can expect that the house they move into will be adequately supplied with sewers, water, power, and garbage disposal. The West Australian Supreme Court decision establishes that local Aborigines can have no such expectation. Contrast this with the perception, fanned by populist politicians, that Aborigines are “privileged” by being provided with such housing as government handouts.

A further dent in the image of Australia as being in the forefront of civilised nations came from last week's US State Department report on international human rights. This stated, “Indigenous Australians continue …