Category Archives: Indigenous Australians

Australia news live: Minns says NSW police response to pro-Palestine rally will be ‘reasonable and proportionate’; voice referendum latest updates

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Follow today’s news live, including the latest updates on the voice referendum

A strong no vote could hold back reforms in Indigenous affairs, Wyatt says

Ken Wyatt said he doesn’t think the government has made a mistake deciding against legislating the voice if the referendum is defeated, but he fears what a strong no vote will mean for the future of Indigenous affairs:

We’ve got to respect what Australians are saying if there is an overwhelming no majority …

The fear I have now is with a strong no, whether the government will become reticent to be adventurous on doing significant reforms in the future in the Aboriginal affairs portfolio, and on programs and policies that could reshape the landscape of Aboriginal affairs and the way in which Aboriginal people access the plethora of services that we all take for granted across this nation as our inherent right.

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‘If not now, when?’: Thomas Mayo pleads with voters not to delay Indigenous voice to future generations

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Leading yes campaigner questions how many lives will be ‘lost or cut short’ in the meantime if referendum does not succeed

The leading yes campaigner Thomas Mayo says problems facing Indigenous Australians cannot be fixed without a mechanism like the voice to parliament and has pleaded with voters to back the referendum rather than delaying the vital reform to future generations.

Mayo called the voice “the moral and logical thing” for Australians to support, saying it was inevitable that something like the advisory body would need to be set up at some point.

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Australia news live: Julian Leeser makes last-minute plea for voice; thousands rally for Israel

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Former shadow attorney-general says the referendum should be about ‘hope’; Peter Dutton and NSW premier speak at Sydney gathering. Follow the day’s news live

Morrison-era climate agency to be reviewed on effectiveness in preparing for natural disasters

A climate agency created in the wake of the Black Summer bushfires will be put under the microscope as Australia heads into a hot weather season predicted to deliver extreme weather events.

Our government is committed to building greater national climate and disaster risk information capability, to provide authoritative data and analytical tools for governments, industry, and the public.

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Voice no campaigner claims Uluru statement supporters want ‘their own military’

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Kerry White, a Narungga elder, former One Nation candidate and Warren Mundine backer, also claims the stolen generation was not ‘stolen’

A no campaigner linked to Warren Mundine’s Recognise a Better Way group has falsely claimed supporters of the Uluru statement want “their own military” and voiced a conspiracy theory that the creation of Indigenous treaties would see the UN take over Australian land.

Kerry White, a Narungga elder, one-time One Nation candidate, and committeemember of the Recognise a Better Way group set up by Mundine, went on to allege the stolen generation “wasn’t stolen” and that there was “nothing wrong” with assimilation policies.

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Australia news live: Sydney pro-Palestine rally to go ahead without NSW police approval; Cheng Lei freed from China

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Heavy traffic near Sydney airport after truck crash and fluid spill

Traffic remains heavy near Sydney airport after a two-truck crash caused a fluid spill.

This is one of the most important priorities for us coming out of what’s occurred in the previous days.

Minister Wong is [working] really hard on that. The Australian government will do whatever is necessary to protect [its] citizens.

We’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure we can secure the safety of Australians … We’re working very hard to make sure we protect Australians not just overseas, but here at home.

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Australians can ‘lift burden of history’ with yes vote, says emotional Albanese at Uluru

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Prime minister visibly moved by song and dance of traditional owners as he attempts to rally the nation behind the voice plan

Australians have the opportunity to “lift the burden of history” from Indigenous people by voting yes to the voice to parliament, a clearly emotional Anthony Albanese has told a gathering of traditional owners at Uluru.

The prime minister sat with leaders from central Australia, including the most senior traditional owner of the rock, Reggie Uluru, on a hot afternoon in the national park at the base of the rock on Tuesday.

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Australia news live: protesters at ‘agitated’ pro-Palestine rally at Opera House may face charges, NSW police say

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Home affairs minister issues social media reminder that Hamas is listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia. Follow live

Here are some images of the Australian landmarks that were illuminated in blue and white colours last night in support of Israel.

The Sydney Opera House:

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A no vote will ‘bring shame upon us’ and signal reconciliation is no longer viable, Noel Pearson says

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In a late plea for a yes vote in the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum, the respected leader says he fears ‘for the future of my people’ if it is defeated

Noel Pearson says he will walk away from advocating for a “middle path” of compromise if the voice to parliament referendum fails, claiming reconciliation would not be viable in the event of a no vote.

The longtime Indigenous activist and respected community leader says he would instead allow a new generation of Indigenous leaders to chart a different path forward.

Pearson said he fears “for the future of my people” if the referendum is defeated on Saturday, making a late plea for voters to vote yes in recognition of Australia’s history and avoid a failure he says would be “ugly as sin”.

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Liberal party apologises to voice voters for giving advice labelled ‘blatant disregard’ of rules

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People who took up party’s incorrect suggestion on applying for postal ballots could miss out on voting in referendum, MP warns

The Liberal party has apologised to voters for incorrectly suggesting they could apply for a postal vote before writs for the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum had been issued, with the party conceding they will now need to reapply.

The independent MP Kate Chaney has blasted the party for its “blatant disregard” of Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) guidelines and warned that voters may be disenfranchised because they were informed less than two weeks from the 14 October poll.

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Labor won’t try to legislate Indigenous voice if referendum fails, Anthony Albanese says

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‘If Australians vote no, I don’t believe it would be appropriate to then go and legislate anyway,’ prime minister says a week out from vote

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says the government won’t try to legislate a voice to parliament if the no vote wins next weekend’s referendum on enshrining the body in the constitution.

Albanese on Sunday was asked on ABC TV: “If it’s a no vote, you walk away from the voice altogether?”

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Indigenous voice: electoral commission decision not to send mobile voting teams into hospitals condemned

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Australian Medical Association and Uluru Dialogue say patients and medical staff could be disenfranchised after AEC continues Covid-era policy

Australia’s peak medical body and a key group backing the Indigenous voice to parliament have raised concerns patients and medical staff may be disenfranchised in the referendum, after a pandemic-era decision not to send mobile voting teams into hospitals was made permanent.

During the 2022 federal election, the Australian Electoral Commission decided it was not appropriate to send polling officials into hospitals, given the risk of Covid infection and transmission, and the AEC has confirmed the policy is still in place for the referendum.

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Anthony Albanese casts yes vote in ‘once in a generation’ voice to parliament referendum

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PM says he won’t take lectures from Tony Abbott and John Howard after pair claim voice wouldn’t help central Australia

Anthony Albanese has cast his vote for an Indigenous voice to parliament and said Australians have “nothing to fear from voting yes, but everything to gain”.

After visiting an early voting centre in Marrickville with his son Nathan by his side, the prime minister also hit back at Tony Abbott and John Howard, who on Saturday claimed the voice would not improve outcomes for Indigenous people in central Australia.

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Rapper Briggs on his viral video backing the voice: ‘I want to debunk the comments section’

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Yorta Yorta man says voice referendum skit written by Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst has now been viewed more than 5m times

The rapper and Yorta Yorta man Briggs says he was aiming to “debunk the comments section” with his viral video on the voice to parliament referendum, adding it has struck a chord because Australians respond well to humour.

The skit, which Briggs said had been viewed more than 5m times, was written by Freudian Nip’s Jenna Owen and Victoria Zerbst and directed by Australian film-maker Nash Edgerton. It was not created or funded by the official yes campaign.

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At least one dead in light plane crash; state and territory leaders back the voice – as it happened

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More than 70 constitutional and public law teachers have signed a letter saying the voice to parliament “is not constitutionally risky” in a bid to clarify “misunderstandings and misconceptions” among Australian voters.

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

In law school, we teach our students techniques to assess competing legal opinions, which include looking at the evidence that the author is using to support their opinion, and the author’s experience working in the specialised field. This skill is important, for instance, in assessing the stated concern of the No Case that the proposed amendment is constitutionally ‘risky’ and, in particular, that it might lead to dysfunction and delays in government.

Certainly, it is impossible to predict exactly what the High Court might say in the future; this is the case for all constitutional and legal provisions. But we know that the vast majority of expert legal opinion agrees that this amendment is not constitutionally risky. These views are supported by careful argument, drawing on precedent (that is, previously decided cases) and a deep understanding of the Court’s approach to constitutional interpretation. These experts also agree that the proposed Voice provision is consistent with the Australian constitutional system.

We did have a disturbing incident this morning where our crews had to respond to a water rescue in the Bairnsdale area, where two males entered the water in a car and subsequently got carried away, or the vehicle got carried away. They had to be rescued from the roof of their vehicle.

… It is a salient reminder never [to] enter flood waters, always choose an alternative route.

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Historians urge Australians to ‘be on the right side of history’ when they vote in voice referendum

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‘Historic injustices’ suffered by Indigenous people warrant a voice to parliament, open letter signed by more than 350 says

The “historic injustices” suffered by Indigenous Australians warrant a voice to parliament, according to hundreds of historians, with a new public campaign calling on voters to consider the nation’s colonial past when casting their ballot.

Historians from universities, libraries and museums are asking Australians to consider how people in the future will look back on this moment, saying the referendum campaign will be a “turning point” for the fabric of the nation.

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Australia news live: Lidia Thorpe claims Anthony Albanese trying to ‘shut me down’ over voice referendum

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Rain expected to ease over flooded regions in Victoria

The good news is no more rain is expected over flooded regions in Victoria, VicSES deputy chief officer David Baker told ABC News:

The big tap in the sky has been turned off. That’s great news for us. So what we’re dealing with now is what’s currently in the river systems that will need to flush itself through the systems. And we can assess that and we can manage that and put efforts in place to make sure that communities are out of harm’s way. So the good news is no more serious rain expected, and a pretty stable system, I understand, until at least … next week.

We estimate up to 130 properties may be impacted by the event, hence we issued an Emergency warning late yesterday afternoon which was renewed during the early hours of the morning.

It’s mainly homes in that area. Rural homes that may see what we call above floor inundation.

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‘People can say what they like’: voice supporter Jimmy Barnes won’t be cowed by fans’ backlash

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Politics and music go ‘hand in hand’, the Cold Chisel frontman says, and the referendum offers a chance for the country to move forward

Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes has defended the right of musicians to speak in support of the Indigenous voice to parliament, saying a yes vote in the referendum was about a “fair go” and that he would always “stick up for what I believe in”.

The Cold Chisel frontman has urged voters to approach the 14 October poll with an open mind and to learn about the proposal for an Indigenous advisory committee. But as he and other Australian music icons such as John Farnham and Midnight Oil come under fire from some fans for making their voices heard on the referendum, Barnes didn’t back down from his longheld support for the voice.

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Australia news live: Elise Archer resigns from Tasmanian parliament after ultimatum from premier; fire tears through Kings Cross hostel

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Jeremy Rockliff writes to Elise Archer asking that she advise whether she will remain in parliament

No property loss in hunter region bushfires, NSW RFS deputy commissioner says

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, NSW RFS deputy commissioner Peter McAfee also provided an update on the bushfires in the Hunter region.

So some really great saves by firefighters in really challenging conditions.

We still have some high fire danger days right across northern NSW with with extreme up in the north-west, so it’s not over this period of fire activity, but some good news to see that change moving through the southern part of the state.

It really was a serious incident there right into the evening, with crews protecting properties throughout.

We’ll have our teams in there at daylight this morning. They’re already getting in there, just looking at exactly what’s occurred. It’s [was] too dangerous to do all that work overnight.

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Pacific Islands Forum head says yes vote on Indigenous voice would ‘elevate Australia’ on world stage

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Henry Puna’s intervention comes after Vanuatu’s ex-foreign minister said a no win on 14 October would be a blow to Australia’s relationships with region

Australia’s credibility would be boosted on the world stage if the yes vote wins the looming Indigenous voice referendum, a senior Pacific leader says.

Henry Puna, the head of the Pacific Islands Forum, said on Wednesday that while he respected the country’s right to make its own democratic decision it would be “wonderful to see Australia vote yes”.

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Hanson-Young labels Dutton’s voice campaigning ‘sinister’ – as it happened

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Residents of Pine Scrub and Leeka in Tasmania urged to leave amid out of control fire

A bushfire emergency warning has been issued to the Tasmanian communities of Pine Scrub and Leeka.

Burning embers may threaten your home before the main fire arrives.

Smoke and ash may make it difficult to see and breathe.

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