Category Archives: Indigenous Australians

Albanese lashes Dutton over Garma festival no-show as leaders trade barbs over Indigenous voice

Posted on by

PM and opposition leader spar over referendum, apology to the stolen generations and the prospect of treaty in heated parliamentary debate

Anthony Albanese has accused Peter Dutton of “undermining the interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people” by opposing the Indigenous voice, launching a strident defence of the referendum and criticising the opposition leader for declining to attend the Garma festival this weekend.

As the Coalition again pursued the government in question time over the treaty element of the Uluru statement from the heart, asking how long it would take and what it would cost, Albanese sought to re-focus attention on the referendum. The prime minister questioned why the Liberal party opposed a constitutionally enshrined voice despite backing a legislated model, claiming the opposition was seeking to divide the nation.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Past and present public servants to be investigated – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

Home prices to keep rising despite higher rates: REA

National property prices are expected to increase by up to five per cent in 2023, having already lifted more than two per cent since the start of the year, AAP reports.

We saw price increases despite rising interest rates and reduced borrowing capacities and anticipate moderate price increases to continue over the coming months.

Don’t wait for a flare to rise from Canberra, until you get started.

The campaign has truly begun. Get out there, talk to your family, talk to your friends.

This is your moment.

I urge you to campaign for a future you want to see.

We will win this referendum, conversation by conversation. Silence doesn’t make history, people make history.

Continue reading...

Yes campaign failing to counter opponents’ targeted tactics despite spending more, experts say

Posted on by

Supporters of the Indigenous voice to parliament urged to hone their strategy in bid to convince undecided Australians to vote yes

The yes campaign for the Indigenous voice to parliament referendum is outspending voice opponents on social media, but critics say its broad approach is failing to counter the no camp’s more targeted tactics.

Yes campaigners have spent approximately $180,000 more on Facebook ads than the no campaign since 1 January, Guardian Australia analysis has found.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

NSW police use force against Indigenous Australians at drastically disproportionate levels, data shows

Posted on by

Exclusive: Redfern Legal Centre obtained records which show First Nations people were involved in about 45% of the incidents

New South Wales police used force against Indigenous Australians at vastly disproportionate rates during the past three years, internal police data shows.

Records obtained by the Redfern Legal Centre show Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were significantly overrepresented in police use of force incidents from 2018-20 to 2021-22.

Continue reading...

Noel Pearson urges voters to ‘let go of your political party affiliations’ and vote yes for Indigenous voice

Posted on by

Yes campaigners will target Liberal, National and teal voters ahead of the referendum

Liberal, National and teal voters across New South Wales will be targeted by campaigners for the Indigenous voice to parliament, as its biggest advocates urge voters against following party politics on the issue.

Advocates will push the values underpinning the proposal and the need to listen to Indigenous people over political leaders for the next three months, after polling suggested support had softened.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

NSW police reject suggestion ‘racism is rife’ in force and say ‘lessons learned’ after Bowraville murders

Posted on by

Police act ‘with respect’ to victims and people in custody, federal inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children hears

A senior NSW police officer has rejected suggestions “racism is rife” within its ranks and has told a federal inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and children that lessons have been learned after the Bowraville murders.

The parliamentary inquiry has held hearings around the country, hearing from experts, government and police agencies, and families of those murdered and disappeared.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Honey produced by Australian ant has highly effective antibacterial properties, researchers say

Posted on by

Honeypot ant researchers hope to identify compounds that can be used in antimicrobial treatments as western science catches up to Indigenous knowledge

The honey produced by Australian honeypot ants has antibacterial and antifungal properties, researchers have found, in a discovery that brings western science up to speed with Indigenous knowledge.

The Australian honeypot ant, Camponotus inflatus, has been used by First Nations people as a bush food and in traditional medicine for thousands of years, including to treat colds and sore throats.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Julie Bishop backs Indigenous voice as ‘step in the right direction’

Posted on by

Former Liberal deputy leader tells National Press Club she supports the referendum, but stops short of saying she will actively campaign for yes vote

The former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop has called for Australians to support the Indigenous voice referendum, warning that existing policies are not working to close the gap.

Bishop, who was deputy leader of the Liberal party for 11 years, said many Indigenous people she respected greatly “have put a lot of thought into this and they believe that it is a step in the right direction”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

How a viral Channel 7 clip that had nothing to do with the voice was co-opted by the no camp

Posted on by

Confusion over Western Australia’s new cultural heritage laws is being co-opted by the no campaign and far-right opponents of the voice

The two-minute clip never mentions the Indigenous voice to parliament, but a now-viral Channel 7 news story about cancelled tree planting ceremonies in Western Australia was quickly seized upon last week by the no campaign and far-right opponents of the voice.

The video has now reached more than 1.5m views on Twitter, largely thanks to a significant boost from opponents of the voice, who have attempted to co-opt controversy over the state’s updated planning laws since at least early July.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

‘Get it back on track’: NSW minister calls for voice yes campaign reset while praising Matt Kean’s support

Posted on by

Exclusive: David Harris says ‘cheap politics’ has skewered the debate but expects support to rise before the vote

The campaign for the Indigenous voice to parliament needs a reset in New South Wales, according to the state’s Aboriginal affairs minister David Harris, as polling shows support in the state is slipping.

But Harris praised the efforts of former treasurer and senior Liberal MP Matt Kean for his support for the yes campaign.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia news live: Morrison ‘in complete denial’ over robodebt, Shorten says as former PM seen back in public

Posted on by

Government services minister says royal commission ‘is gripping reading’. Follow live news updates today

Cash says department was responsible for contracts amid reports of money paid to Pacific politicians over detention processing

Cash has also brushed off the Coalition government’s role in media reports of the taxpayer money for detention processing that went to Pacific politicians.

There is no suggestion that Peter Dutton himself played a part in signing the contracts. These contracts are signed by the Department of Home Affairs.

What Mr. Burke seems to want to do now is to reintroduce the uncertainty that existed prior to a legislation the Coalition government introduced.

… What this gets down to is one thing. These changes are part of the Albanese government’s ongoing campaign to attack and undermine those who choose to undertake casual work, despite the fact that it works for millions of Australians.

Continue reading...

Investment in Indigenous community health key to reduce diabetes rates

Posted on by

Calls for greater funding in local health services as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people suffer from high rates of type 1 and 2 diabetes

Australia needs to invest in local community-led health providers to reduce rates of type 2 diabetes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the peak body for Indigenous health services has said.

Thirteen percent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over the age of 18 have been diagnosed with diabetes – three times the national rate for non-Indigenous people, according to data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

Sign up to receive Guardian Australia’s fortnightly Rural Network email newsletter

Continue reading...

Indigenous voice opponents’ call for more detail is a furphy, Noel Pearson says

Posted on by

Indigenous leader says referendum will be won if yes campaign can ‘find the better angels’ in Australian community

The Indigenous leader Noel Pearson says politicians’ calls for detail on the voice to parliament are disingenuous and a “furphy”, stressing it would be the job of those very MPs to help design the body after the referendum.

The comments came as the acting Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, continued the opposition’s call for detail on the voice.

Continue reading...

Search continues for entrepreneur after Sydney boat crash – as it happened

Posted on by

Police extend search for Andrew Findlay after body of art dealer Tim Klingender was found. This blog is now closed

A man and woman will face court today in Melbourne accused of murder after the body of a man in his 40s was found in a city street, AAP reports.

Police say the charges follow an alleged incident at a home near Glen Waverley train line in Binalong Avenue, Chadstone on Tuesday, where a man in his 40s was fatally assaulted.

It can be a sensitive and confronting topic for many people so it is important that any future legislation is done through intensive and thorough consultation with all Territorians.

This is an imperative step forward for the Territory and I am honoured to play my part in this important consultation process.

Continue reading...

Big W ditches in-store announcements that supported Indigenous voice to parliament

Posted on by

Discount chain, owned by Woolworths, says decision is due to feedback from staff and customers

Big W has abandoned in-store announcements that expressed support for the Indigenous voice to parliament, citing responses from customers and staff.

The discount chain, owned by supermarket operator Woolworths, recently used an acknowledgment of country across its stores that affirmed support for the constitutional change to be voted on at an upcoming referendum.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Minister orders briefing on $33m grant – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed.

New Zealand PM to address media shortly

New Zealand’s prime minister Chris Hipkins is set to address media at 10:15am New Zealand time about the shooting in Aukland this morning.

Continue reading...

Albanese says it’s ‘dumb’ to expect change without Indigenous voice in talkback radio clash

Posted on by

PM tells 2GB radio’s Ben Fordham that media have a responsibility not to ‘raise red herrings’ after being repeatedly questioned over impacts of voice proposal

Anthony Albanese has branded it “dumb” to suggest outcomes for Indigenous Australians can improve without a voice to parliament in the constitution, muscling up to conservative critics of the referendum proposal.

The prime minister made the comment in a testy interview on 2GB Radio, warning that media have a responsibility not to “raise red herrings” and urging Australians to read about the actual question for themselves.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Aboriginal owners and energy investors team up in plan for $3bn green hydrogen plant in WA

Posted on by

‘Radically different’ partnership aims to construct more than a million solar panels to power electrolysers

A unique partnership between three traditional owner groups and a major clean energy investor is promising to establish a $3bn green hydrogen project in the far north of Western Australia.

In what could be one of Australia’s biggest clean energy projects, more than a million solar panels will power electrolysers to produce 50,000 tonnes of green hydrogen a year.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: ‘are you really worth seven times the salary of the PM?’ Labor senator asks Deloitte chief

Posted on by

Former competition watchdog Allan Fels tells parliamentary inquiry federal government must act now to avoid conflicts of interest. Follow the day’s news live

Divers are trying to retrieve hundreds of drones that plunged into Melbourne’s Yarra River over the weekend due to a technical error.

The drones were part of a light show for the Matildas’ game against France on Friday night but fell into the river due to a technical glitch. The retrieval operation began on Sunday and is continuing on Monday.

We want to see all drones taken back out of the river because we know if they are left there they will leach chemicals which can damage the environment.

We want investors to come into the market to take advantage of the great demand for rental accommodation.

But we don’t want to stifle that by putting unnecessary burden (on landlords).

Continue reading...

Voice backers sign off on ‘simple, hopeful’ message for referendum pamphlet

Posted on by

Yes and no camps have been writing their competing essays, to be published by AEC on Tuesday

Supporters of an Indigenous voice to parliament say they are “ready to prosecute their simple, hopeful message” and will submit the official yes case to the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday.

The yes and the no camps have been drafting their competing essays, limited to 2,000 words each, with the two documents to be published online by the AEC on Tuesday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...