Newsletter date: 25 November 2013
Contents:
* Greens Senators Rachel Siewert & Penny Wright: Indigenous legal aid cuts must not go ahead
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: Come clean on Indigenous legal aid cuts: Greens
* Brooke Boney, NITV News: Nova Peris questions Indigenous legal aid cuts
* WGAR News: Coalition's proposed cuts 'a heartless decision' says ALSWA: Aboriginal Legal Service WA (9 Sep 13)
* Background to Justice Reinvestment, Aboriginal imprisonment and Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: White justice crippling a community
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: The ghosts of Bowraville
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: Compounding a community's ongoing grief
* Matt Deans, Coffs Coast Advocate: Lands Council joins the march for Bowraville justice
* North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA): The evidence on alcohol is in - again
* Andrea Nierhoff, SBS Radionews: Concerns over NT alcohol control plans
* 9 News: APOs will disadvantage Aboriginal people
* Ildi Amon, SBS Radionews: FASD higher in NT's Indigenous: study
* Background to the NT Alcohol Mandatory Treatment Bill
* Gerry Georgatos, The Stringer: Tragedy of two Yamatji deaths lead to calls for equality
* The Stringer: Hundreds emotional in Geraldton rally
* GREENS SENATORS RACHEL SIEWERT & PENNY WRIGHT: INDIGENOUS LEGAL AID CUTS MUST NOT GO AHEAD
- Media Release
Greens Senators Rachel Siewert & Penny Wright: Indigenous legal aid cuts must not go ahead
Rachel Siewert: http://rachel-siewert.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/indigenous...
Penny Wright: http://penny-wright.greensmps.org.au/content/media-releases/indigenous-l...
19 Nov 13: "Prime Minister Tony Abbott must urgently clarify if he intends to reverse his party's election promise to make multi-million dollar cuts to indigenous legal aid, say the Australian Greens.
The Attorney General's Department last night confirmed frontline services could not be isolated from the $42 million cut to indigenous legal aid funding under questioning from Senator Rachel Siewert and Senator Penny Wright.
"If these cuts go ahead, it's a sure thing more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will end up in jail because they won't be getting quality advice," said Senator Siewert, Greens spokesperson on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Issues. ...
Australian Greens Legal Affairs spokesperson Senator Wright said the Government was creating confusion in the legal aid sector by continually changing their story.
"The Coalition originally tried to claim this money would only affect advocacy services, now they're creating huge uncertainty by saying it may not happen at all and it's all still part of the budget process," Senator Wright said. ... ""
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: COME CLEAN ON INDIGENOUS LEGAL AID CUTS: GREENS
- News
newsTracker: Come clean on Indigenous legal aid cuts: Greens
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/come-clean-on-indigenous-legal-aid-cuts-si...
19 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: The Australian Greens have called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to clarify whether he will make cuts to Aboriginal legal aid. The Coalition announced it would slash $42 million over four years from the Indigenous Policy Reform Program during the election campaign. Eight Aboriginal legal aid organisations from across Australia are funded under the program. The Coalition claims the funding cuts will only affect the organisations at an administrative and policy level. But those in the sector claim it will have an impact on service delivery ... " By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman who hails from Rockhampton in Queensland; editor of Tracker
* BROOKE BONEY, NITV NEWS: NOVA PERIS QUESTIONS INDIGENOUS LEGAL AID CUTS
- Video
NITV News: Nova Peris questions Indigenous legal aid cuts
By Brooke Boney; Source NITV News
http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/11/19/attorney-general-cut-42-mi...
19 Nov 13: "It had been announced that funding would be reduced by $42 million but the Government now says it might reverse that decision. In the Senate Estimates Hearing on Legal Affairs today, the Government conceded there's no way of knowing if cutting that funding will affect frontline services in Indigenous communities. "It would be impossible for us to estimate exactly how much effort goes into precisely that issue, because the program now is fused there's no separate allocation for that," says Kym Duggan from the Attorney-General's Department. ... " By Brooke Boney
* WGAR NEWS: COALITION'S PROPOSED CUTS 'A HEARTLESS DECISION' SAYS ALSWA: ABORIGINAL LEGAL SERVICE WA (9 SEP 13)
- Compilation
WGAR News: Coalition's proposed cuts 'a heartless decision' says ALSWA: Aboriginal Legal Service WA (9 Sep 13)
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/09/08/wgar-news-coalitions-proposed-cuts-a-...
"Contents:
* Coalition's proposed cuts 'a heartless decision' says ALSWA
* Amy McQuire, Tracker: WA Aboriginal legal aid service hits out at Coalition's "heartless" cuts
* NATSILS: Coalition signals 20 per cent funding cut to Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Legal Services
* ALRM - Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement: Shame!!Shame!!Shame!!
* Jane Lee, The Age: Coalition cuts to indigenous legal aid under fire
* Jane Lee, The Age: Jail risk 'higher for indigenous' under Coalition tenure
* Patricia Karvelas, The Australian: 'Not a good start for PM for indigenous Australians'
* ABC News: Coalition caned over claims of cash cuts
* ACOSS concerned by proposed cuts to Aboriginal legal services and foreign aid"
* BACKGROUND TO JUSTICE REINVESTMENT, ABORIGINAL IMPRISONMENT AND ABORIGINAL DEATHS IN CUSTODY:
Last updated: 10 November 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2012/12/17/background-to-aboriginal-imprisonment...
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: WHITE JUSTICE CRIPPLING A COMMUNITY
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: White justice crippling a community
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/white-justice-crippling-a-community/
20 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: ... In no way do I want to take away from the tragedy of these two cases, and the overwhelming sense of pain their families feel. But I do want to make the point that, just as Australians rose up for justice for them, just as newspapers placed it on their front pages, and politicians marched in solidarity, the same concern should be afforded to three Aboriginal children who were murdered on the mid-north coast more than two decades ago. ... " By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman who hails from Rockhampton in Queensland; editor of Tracker
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: THE GHOSTS OF BOWRAVILLE
- Analysis / Opinion
agendaTracker: The ghosts of Bowraville
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/the-ghosts-of-bowraville/
12 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: Three children were murdered on the Bowraville mission within five months of each other in 1990 to 1991. Only one man stands accused of these crimes, but thanks to a series of spectacular failures in the original police investigation – and a racist and apathetic justice system – he has never been convicted, writes AMY McQUIRE*." By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman who hails from Rockhampton in Queensland; editor of Tracker
* AMY MCQUIRE, TRACKER: COMPOUNDING A COMMUNITY'S ONGOING GRIEF
- News
newsTracker: Compounding a community's ongoing grief
http://tracker.org.au/2013/11/compounding-a-communitys-ongoing-grief/
12 Nov 13: "NATIONAL: In 1997, the investigation into the murders of Colleen Walker, Evelyn Greenup and Clinton Speedy Duroux was re-opened, led by Detective Inspector Gary Jubelin and former Detective Sergeant Jason Evers. It took them over a decade and countless visits to rebuild the trust of the community. In 2011, Det Sgt Evers told ABC Four Corners the identity of the killer was patently obvious. "I could make a cop show out of this and it wouldn’t get to the first ad break because it’d all be over, because the summation is that quick. There’s no challenge to it." ... " By Amy McQuire, a Darumbal and South Sea Islander woman who hails from Rockhampton in Queensland; editor of Tracker
* MATT DEANS, COFFS COAST ADVOCATE: LANDS COUNCIL JOINS THE MARCH FOR BOWRAVILLE JUSTICE
- News
Coffs Coast Advocate: Lands Council joins the march for Bowraville justice
http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/aboriginal-lands-council-joins...
21 Nov 13: " AUSTRALIA'S largest Aboriginal member-based organisation has called on the NSW Government to show compassion to the families of the three murdered Bowraville children. The NSW Aboriginal Lands Council has added its support to the protest in Sydney's Hyde Park today where the families of Colleen Craig-Walker, 16, Evelyn Greenup, 4, and Clinton Speedy-Duroux, 16, and their supporters will march on Macquarie Street. Despite several trials, the acquittal of a police suspect and a coronial inquest, no person has been convicted of the children's murders at Bowraville mission between 1990 and 1991." Matt Deans
* NORTH AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL JUSTICE AGENCY (NAAJA): THE EVIDENCE ON ALCOHOL IS IN - AGAIN
- Media Release
North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency: The evidence on alcohol is in - again
http://www.naaja.org.au/index.php/component/attachments/download/149.html
http://www.naaja.org.au/index.php/news/media-releases.html
20 Nov 13: "The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) has called for the NT Government to act on the evidence and take real steps to address alcohol-related harm in the NT.
The Australian National Council on Drugs report released today highlights that 60% of all police attendances (including 90% of late-night calls) involve alcohol and one in 5 hospitalisations of people under 25 are due to alcohol.
The report calls for urgent action on:
1. Availability - the amount of venues we have and licensing hours;
2. Price, where some wine costs less than bottled water; and
3. Promotion- to regulate the advertising of alcohol.
‘The NT Government needs to get serious about tackling alcohol supply instead of relying on police and prisons to respond to a complicated health and social issue’ said NAAJA CEO Priscilla Collins. ... "
* ANDREA NIERHOFF, SBS RADIONEWS: CONCERNS OVER NT ALCOHOL CONTROL PLANS
- Audio
SBS Radionews: Concerns over NT alcohol control plans
By Andrea Nierhoff
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/301769/Concern...
21 Nov 13: "Critics describe the Northern Territory's Alcohol Protection Orders as 'misguided'. ... The Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Centre is also critical of the proposals. Spokesman Ben Schokman says the new scheme is unlikely to succeed. And he worries it will lead to further discrimination against the Territory's large Indigenous population. "One of the concerns that always emerges from powers that are quite broadly drafted and where there is large discretion that is given to police to enforce them is that it ends up being particular communities that are disproportionately affected. ... "" By Andrea Nierhoff
* 9 NEWS: APOS WILL DISADVANTAGE ABORIGINAL PEOPLE
- News
9 News: APOs will disadvantage Aboriginal people
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/2013/11/21/17/46/apos-will-disadvantag...
21 Nov 13: "Alcohol protection orders being rushed through the Northern Territory's Parliament will disadvantage Aboriginal people and criminalise alcoholism, an Aboriginal legal aid agency says. Alcohol Protection Orders (APOs) are set to be introduced to parliament next week, and have not been subject to a consultation process, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) says. It is concerned the bill will be passed with little scrutiny, and it has far-reaching consequences, chief executive Priscilla Collins says."
* ILDI AMON, SBS RADIONEWS: FASD HIGHER IN NT'S INDIGENOUS: STUDY
- Audio
SBS Radionews: FASD higher in NT's Indigenous: study
By Ildi Amon
http://www.sbs.com.au/podcasts/Podcasts/radionews/episode/301731/FASD-hi...
20 Nov 13: "New research in the Northern Territory indicates higher levels of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders among Indigenous children. ... The research commissioned by the Northern Territory government shows the disorders are particularly common in communities where there's generally a high level of problematic alcohol use. Researcher Pruce Walker says a lack of education about the risk is partly to blame for the number of Indigenous children with alcohol-related health issues." By Ildi Amon
* BACKGROUND TO THE NT ALCOHOL MANDATORY TREATMENT BILL
Last updated: 10 November 2013
http://indymedia.org.au/2013/07/03/background-to-the-nt-alcohol-mandator...
* GERRY GEORGATOS, THE STRINGER: TRAGEDY OF TWO YAMATJI DEATHS LEAD TO CALLS FOR EQUALITY
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Tragedy of two Yamatji deaths lead to calls for equality
http://thestringer.com.au/tragedy-of-two-yamatji-deaths-lead-to-calls-fo...
1 Nov 13: "The racial tensions that boiled over in the Western Australian coastal town of Geraldton after the hit and run deaths of two 40-year-old Yamatjis who were walking their children, has led to calls for equality and justice before the law - for Aboriginal peoples. The father of one of the victims, Wayne Warner has said that the driver had compassion shown to him that would not have been shown to an Aboriginal person. "What is the difference between a black life and a white life? Are we worth less?" said Mr Warner." By Gerry Georgatos, a life-long human rights and social justice campaigner, a multi-award winning investigative journalist
* THE STRINGER: HUNDREDS EMOTIONAL IN GERALDTON RALLY
- Analysis / Opinion
The Stringer: Hundreds emotional in Geraldton rally
http://thestringer.com.au/hundreds-emotional-in-geraldton-rally/
8 Nov 13: "Yesterday, a crowd of more than 500, the majority Yamatjis, surrounded the court house of the West Australian coastal town of Geraldton as emotions boiled over the hit and run death of two 40-year-old Yamatjis early last month. Some of the protesters stormed the court house, allegedly breaking down a door and smashing a window. They were upset after the 27-year-old hit and run driver was granted bail. The crowd of 500 subsided to a five-hour-long rally in the town centre, calling for justice before the law and in general in society for Aboriginal peoples, ... " The Stringer
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