The Secretary General of Amnesty International has likened conditions in Central Australia to the poorest parts of Africa and Asia, and described the gap between rich and poor in this country as the most stark she’s even seen.
Politics / Australia / NT
Intervention lets Territory grog runners walk free
Canberra is weak as piss on grog in the Northern Territory, and several NT Magistrates are angry that their sentencing options for grog-runners have been seriously compromised by the Intervention.
Meet Kevin Rudd’s “scum of the earth”
The two men charged with bringing a boatload of Afghani asylum seekers into Australian waters appeared before the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory last week. Are these the people really “scum of the Earth”?
Blame the states when RBA lifts rates
When the Reserve Bank lifts interest rates next Tuesday and again either in December or February, you can thank the lazy, fat, rapacious State Governments.
Drink to the end of an Intervention era
The NT intervention is going military, writes our NT insider, with a leaked invite to a going away party for NT boss of the Department of Family and Community Services, Housing and Indigenous Affairs, Brian Stacey.
NT police officer charged over death of mentally ill man
The justice system will finally re-examine the use of police force in the death of filmmaker Bob Plasto, and reassess the training of NT police officers in dealing with mentally ill people.
NT Police to be charged with murder… of the English language
The latest NT Ombudsman’s report into Northern Territory Police misconduct reveals some appalling conduct by members of the force, writes Bob Gosford, with prisoners subjected to torrents of verbal abuse.
Pottymouth NT police redefine the language of policing
The Northern Territory police should be charged with murder — of the English language, with reports showing members of the force swear like sailors.
Intervention’s welfare management to extend across Australia
The Federal Government will shortly announce the extension of income management Australia-wide as part of its reintroduction of the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory.
Not letting the facts get in the way of wagging school
Last week an Oz opinion piece discussed governments’ abandoning schools in the Northern Territory. But, if you want to know whether teachers miss schooling, you go to the source and ask.
Sorry Macklin, but we need a new Indigenous Affairs minister
Kevin Rudd has become an expert in paying lip service to symbolic indigenous issues but his government is failing with the NT intervention and its many faults, writes John Tomlinson. Time to look outside the box?
What happened to the NT intervention?
It’s been over two years since the NT intervention barged into indigenous communities with racist practises that wouldn’t be acceptable in non-indigenous Australia, says Alistair Nicholson.
Garrett stops croc hunts
Environment Minister Peter Garrett has blocked a proposal from the NT Government that would have allowed tourists to hunt 25 large crocs under a saltwater crocodile management plan.
"White Power" T-shirt seller charged
The man exposed in Crikey last week for selling ‘White Power Alice Springs’ T-shirts has been charged with offensive behaviour and making a false statement.
‘White power’ t-shirts for sale in Alice Springs
As Alice Springs grapples with the alleged bashing death of an Aboriginal man by five young white men, one man has begun selling “Alice Springs White Power” t-shirts and caps. Outside the Council offices…
Labor cannot fail Indigenous Australia again
Generally, Labor may have been Aboriginal Australia’s party of choice, but recent challenges with the Coalition implemented NT Intervention highlight Labor’s need to re-engage with Indigenous leadership again, writes The Australian.
We should be welcome UN’s Intervention interfering
Last week, the UN’s special rapporteur on indigenous rights released his criticisms of the NT intervention, much to the chagrin of many Aussie pollies. However, Australia shouldn’t continue to ignore objective international advice, writes Binoy Kampmark.
NT town camp objections highlight past failures
Jenny Macklin’s attempts to change Alice Springs town camp leases are being attacked by Tangentyere council. But Tangentyere’s failures are a perfect example of why reform is needed, writes Bob Durnan.
In politics, it does matter if you’re black or white
Why are democratic elections banned and women representation reduced to 50% in the new indigenous advisory body? It’s different rules for indigenous and non-indigenous politics, writes Stephen Hagan.
Has Anderson finally gone bush and joined the “anti-interventionistas”?
After consistently supporting the Northern Territory Intervention, former MLA Alison Anderson appears to have done a political backflip and withdrawn her approval of the program, reports Bob Gosford.
At least one good reason why the NT should never be a state
Amongst all the chaos in the NT recently, none of the press — local or national — or appear to have caught the real back-story of how Canberra’s law saved Henderson’s flailing government, says Bob Gosford.
NT washup: desperately seeking stability
“Peace for our time” read the paper held aloft in the Darwin Parliament last Friday, when MP Gerry Wood announced that he would keep the embattled ALP in power. But, peace is a trouble concept.
Gerry Woods saves “peace, order and good government” in the NT
In a busy day up north, Alison Anderson has resigned from NT parliament and independent Gerry Wood has saved the Labor government. Bob Gosford and David Curl discuss the latest developments.
Independent likely to support NT Labor?
Rumours are circulating that NT Independent MLA Gerry Wood will vote to support the Labor government remaining in power so as to disrupt the NT economy, writes Ken Parish.
