Editing Clare Martin (section)

===Aboriginal issues===
Although Martin appointed [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] Territorians to her cabinet, she has been criticised for not improving the lot of her Aboriginal constituents, who on average have a life expectancy well below that of white Australians. A respected commentator in ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]'' suggested that she had gone slow on Aboriginal issues because she feared a white backlash that could have resulted in her government being toppled.{{Citation needed|date=July 2007}}

The life expectancy of the Northern Territory's Aboriginal citizens did not increase markedly during Martin's administration. {{Citation needed|date=July 2007}} Alcohol abuse continued to be a major issue in Aboriginal communities and third-world diseases like [[trachoma]] could be seen in remote Aboriginal townships.<ref>{{cite journal| url = http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/175_07_011001/taylor/taylor.html| title = eMJA: Taylor, Trachoma in Australia| journal = Medical Journal of Australia| date = 25 September 2001| volume = 175| issue = 7| last1 = Taylor| first1 = Hugh R.| pages = 371–372| doi = 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143622.x| pmid = 11700815| s2cid = 46535213| url-access = subscription}}</ref> However, in 2006, Martin rejected accusations by [[John Howard]] and Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister, [[Mal Brough]], that her government had been underfunding Aboriginal communities.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22008970-17001,00.html | title=Clare Martin denies underfunding Aboriginal communities – NEWS.com.au }} {{Dead link|date=June 2012|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref> A summit between the federal and territory governments was proposed by Mal Brough in May 2006, but this was snubbed by Martin.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2006/s1642122.htm| title = Lateline – 18 May 2006: Martin snubs summit| website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| date = 18 May 2006}}</ref>

Martin was critical of the Federal Government's intervention in Aboriginal communities as announced in 2007. She opposed certain aspects of the intervention such as removal of the permit system. In response, the Federal Government rejected the Territory's argument, saying it was essential to remove artificial barriers to Aboriginal townships that prevent the measures needed to improve living conditions for Indigenous children<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1973945.htm| title = PM – NT changes stance on Federal Indigenous plan| website = [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]}}</ref>