Newsletter date: 17 November 2013
Contents:
* Pedestrian TV: Tony Abbott wants to repeal Racial Discrimination laws
* The Wire: Andrew Bolt, racial discrimination and free speech [Featuring Dr Mark McMillan - Wiradjuri man]
* Suresh Rajan, The Stringer: Brandis, Bolt and a whole lot of other B's!
* Barry Everingham, Independent Australia: Abbott Government acts swiftly to legalise racism
* Jessica Wright, The Sydney Morning Herald: George Brandis to repeal 'Bolt laws' on racial discrimination
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: ABC defamed respected Aboriginal elder
* Crikey - The Northern Myth: Rosalie Kunoth-Monks on her ABC defamation win: "I feel an enormous sense of vindication and relief."
* Lisa Cornish, Geelong Advertiser: Aboriginal elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks defamed by ABC and Rebecca Healy
* Amos Aikman, The Australian: The ABC and a former Country Liberal Party election candidate ordered to pay damages for defaming an Aboriginal elder
* Tennant & District Times: Defamation win for Kunoth-Monks
* 9 News: Community leader defamed by ABC report
* ABC News: Court orders ABC to pay defamation damages
* WGAR News: Eyewitness accounts of the Tent Embassy protest on Invasion Day / Sovereignty Day (2 Feb 12)
* Background to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy 40th Anniversary, Canberra, ACT
* PEDESTRIAN TV: TONY ABBOTT WANTS TO REPEAL RACIAL DISCRIMINATION LAWS
- News
Pedestrian TV: Tony Abbott wants to repeal Racial Discrimination laws
http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/home/tony-abbott-wants-to-repeal-racial-di...
8 Nov 13: "Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Attorney-General George Brandis are soon to bring forth legislation that would repeal part of the Racial Discrimination Act because, priorities. The section in question was brought to public awareness when Andrew Bolt wrote the column ‘It’s so hip to be black’, after which Abbott included repealing the act as one of his campaign promises. Aside from offending countless Australians, Bolt's column resulted in him being taken to court by Aboriginal academic Larissa Behrendt and nine others. ... "
* THE WIRE: ANDREW BOLT, RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND FREE SPEECH [FEATURING DR MARK MCMILLAN - WIRADJURI MAN]
- Audio Interview
The Wire: Andrew Bolt, racial discrimination and free speech
Produced by Emma Rennie
http://www.thewire.org.au/storyDetail.aspx?ID=11030
11 Nov 13: "There has been much speculation in the media about the election promise of Attorney-General George Brandis to supposedly repeal the "Andrew Bolt" discrimination laws, which protects people from public acts that are likely to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone on the ground of their race or ethnicity. As Emma Rennie found out, that may not be the case, but either way, there's a lot of discussion to be had about how these laws affect our rights to freedom of speech. ...
Featured in story:
Dr Mark McMillan - Wiradjuri man; lawyer at the University of Melbourne Law School"
- Related Video
NITV News - 13 November part 1
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/63299651736/NITV-News-13-November-p...
* SURESH RAJAN, THE STRINGER: BRANDIS, BOLT AND A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER B'S!
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Brandis, Bolt and a whole lot of other B's!
http://thestringer.com.au/brandis-bolt-and-a-whole-lot-of-other-bs/
9 Nov 13: "Our Attorney-General George Brandis (he of dancing at Michael Smith’s wedding at taxpayers’ expense fame!) has indicated that one of the first pieces of legislation that the Parliament will decide on will be the repeal of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (RDA). Of course with the majority that the coalition has in Parliament the passing of legislation to repeal 18C will be a formality. So what is this all about? Let us first examine what section 18 of the RDA actually says: ... " By Suresh Rajan
Suresh Rajan by The Stringer
http://thestringer.com.au/writer-5/
"Suresh Rajan is a former president of the Ethnic Communities Council of Western Australia. He is a regular contributor on the subject of multiculturalism to media in Perth and has been so for many years. ... Suresh’s passion has always been the better integration of migrant communities with Aboriginal communities. He continues to work towards that end."
* BARRY EVERINGHAM, INDEPENDENT AUSTRALIA: ABBOTT GOVERNMENT ACTS SWIFTLY TO LEGALISE RACISM
- Analysis / Opinion
Independent Australia: Abbott Government acts swiftly to legalise racism
http://www.independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/abbott-gov...
11 Nov 13: "In its first sitting week of Parliament, the Abbott Government will waste no time in introducing amendments to legalise racist hate speech. Senior correspondent Barry Everingham says the move has alarmed the Jewish community. THE ABBOTT GOVERNMENT will introduce legislation into Federal Parliament this week - its very first sitting week - winding back Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. The amended legislation, if passed by both Houses, will give extreme rightwing writers like Andrew Bolt full rein to express their racist views without fear of prosecution." Barry Everingham
* JESSICA WRIGHT, THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD: GEORGE BRANDIS TO REPEAL 'BOLT LAWS' ON RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
- News
The Sydney Morning Herald: George Brandis to repeal 'Bolt laws' on racial discrimination
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/george-brandis-to-...
8 Nov 13: "Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Attorney-General George Brandis will fulfil an election promise next week and introduce legislation to repeal a section of Racial Discrimination Act that conservative journalist Andrew Bolt was found guilty of breaching. The repeal of the laws that make it unlawful to offend and insult people because of their race will be the first legislation Senator Brandis will introduce to Parliament, according to The Australian newspaper. It will change the definition of racial vilification in what the government says is a move towards restoring free speech laws to their full power." Jessica Wright, Breaking news reporter for The Age
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: ABC DEFAMED RESPECTED ABORIGINAL ELDER
- News
newsTracker: ABC defamed respected Aboriginal elder
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/abc-defamed-respected-aboriginal-elder/
14 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: The ABC defamed "highly respected" elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks when it broadcast comments from a young Territorian of the Year claiming Ms Kunoth-Monks had labeled her home community "racist" during the tent embassy protests, the NT Supreme Court has ruled. ... In a media statement released today Ms Kunoth-Monks said: "I feel an enormous sense of vindication and relief. I have always been about bringing people together and not pulling them apart. Having a national story that stated otherwise hurt me deeply. This victory has given me the strength to continue to advocate for treaties so that black and white can live together as two respected peoples."" By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman who hails from Rockhampton in Queensland, editor of Tracker
- Related Video
NITV News - 13 November part 1
http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/63299651736/NITV-News-13-November-p...
* CRIKEY - THE NORTHERN MYTH: ROSALIE KUNOTH-MONKS ON HER ABC DEFAMATION WIN: "I FEEL AN ENORMOUS SENSE OF VINDICATION AND RELIEF."
- Media Release
Crikey - The Northern Myth: Rosalie Kunoth-Monks on her ABC defamation win: "I feel an enormous sense of vindication and relief."
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/11/14/rosalie-kunoth-monks-on-a...
14 Nov 13: "Mrs Kunoth-Monks: "I feel an enormous sense of vindication and relief. I have always been about bringing people together and not pulling them apart. Having a national story that stated otherwise hurt me deeply." ... This is a Media Release posted today by O’Brien Solicitors of Sydney, who represented Mrs Rosalie Kunoth-Monks in the matter of Kunoth-Monks v Healy & Anor [2013] NTSC 74." Bob Gosford in the NT
* LISA CORNISH, GEELONG ADVERTISER: ABORIGINAL ELDER ROSALIE KUNOTH-MONKS DEFAMED BY ABC AND REBECCA HEALY
- News
Geelong Advertiser: Aboriginal elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks defamed by ABC and Rebecca Healy
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/news/national/aboriginal-elder-rosal...
15 Nov 13: "RESPECTED Aboriginal elder and former child star, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, has been awarded $125,000 in damages and $9,000 in interest after the Northern Territory Supreme Court found she was defamed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and former Country Liberal Party candidate, Rebecca Healy. "I feel an enormous sense of vindication and relief," Mrs Kunoth-Monks said in a statement. The court heard that on Australia Day in 2012, Miss Healy falsely told the ABC that Mrs Kunoth-Monks was responsible for inflammatory comments ... " Lisa Cornish
* AMOS AIKMAN, THE AUSTRALIAN: THE ABC AND A FORMER COUNTRY LIBERAL PARTY ELECTION CANDIDATE ORDERED TO PAY DAMAGES FOR DEFAMING AN ABORIGINAL ELDER
- News
The Australian: The ABC and a former Country Liberal Party election candidate ordered to pay damages for defaming an Aboriginal elder
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/the-abc-and-a-fo...
15 Nov 13: "THE ABC and a former Country Liberal Party election candidate have been ordered to pay more than $130,000 in damages for defaming an Aboriginal elder with allegations she helped to foment a rally that briefly threatened Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott on Australia Day last year. The judgment in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory prompted accusations from both sides that the other had set back the cause of reconciliation. ... Ms Kunoth-Monks said she felt an "enormous sense of vindication'' at the ruling." Amos Aikman
* TENNANT & DISTRICT TIMES: DEFAMATION WIN FOR KUNOTH-MONKS
- News
Tennant & District Times: Defamation win for Kunoth-Monks
http://www.tennantcreektimes.com.au/story/1910640/defamation-win-for-kun...
15 Nov 13: "THE NT Supreme Court has found a former Barkly Shire President was defamed by a radio broadcast following an Australia Day protest in Canberra last year. The ABC and Rebecca Healy have been ordered to pay damages to Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. Ms Healy was in Canberra for the Young Australian of the Year awards where she witnessed protesters from an Aboriginal Tent Embassy rally converge on a restaurant where then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard and then-Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were celebrating Australia Day."
* 9 NEWS: COMMUNITY LEADER DEFAMED BY ABC REPORT
- News
9 News: Community leader defamed by ABC report
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/2013/11/14/14/59/community-leader-de...
14 Nov 13: "The ABC and a former Country Liberal Party candidate have been ordered to pay more than $130,000 in damages for defaming Aboriginal elder Rosalie Kunoth-Monks. Ms Kunoth-Monks was present on Australia Day 2012 when protesters converged on the Lobby restaurant in Canberra where former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and then Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were giving speeches. Former Territorian of the Year Rebecca Healy approached the ABC at the time, telling them Mrs Kunoth-Monks had made inflammatory comments to stir up the crowd ... "
* ABC NEWS: COURT ORDERS ABC TO PAY DEFAMATION DAMAGES
- News
ABC News: Court orders ABC to pay defamation damages
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-13/rosalie-kunoth-monks-defamation-da...
13 Nov 13: "The ABC and a former young Territorian of the year have been ordered to pay a total of $133,000 in damages for defaming a central Australian indigenous leader. The Northern Territory Supreme Court found that Tennant Creek Aboriginal leader Rosalie Kunoth-Monks was defamed in a broadcast of the ABC Radio current affairs program AM. At a sitting in Alice Springs today, the court found the program broadcast comments from the 2012 young Territorian of the year, Rebecca Healy, that defamed Ms Kunoth-Monks."
* WGAR NEWS: EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF THE TENT EMBASSY PROTEST ON INVASION DAY / SOVEREIGNTY DAY (2 FEB 12)
WGAR News: Eyewitness accounts of the Tent Embassy protest on Invasion Day / Sovereignty Day (2 Feb 12)
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/02/02/wgar-news-eyewitness-accounts-of-the-...
"Contents:
* Eye-witness accounts of the protest on Invasion Day / Sovereignty Day
* The Tent Embassy protest on Invasion Day / Sovereignty Day
* The march up to Parliament House from the Tent Embassy"
* BACKGROUND TO THE ABORIGINAL TENT EMBASSY 40TH ANNIVERSARY, CANBERRA, ACT
Last updated: 21 January 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/01/02/aboriginal-tent-embassy-40th-annivers...
- - -
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