Mood:  hug me

I keep coming back to the Brendan Keilar picture as a child in another story here on SAM news blog, his gorgeous children with their silent accusation - why didn't you help save our dad from violence, and now this story about beautiful Aboriginal children at risk.

This is why: Those healthy loved children beaming out of their class photo year 6, 1975 we pictured in an earlier story including Brendan Kielar and  this writer aged 11 or so) shows child raising done right. We were the social echo 30 years ago of the healthy kids of Brendan, the next generation, he raised well and strong till his outrageous death Monday this week when evil trespassed on this natural cycle. Brendan, a perfect exemplar of the Liberal Party faithful philosophy of life cut short by foul murder.

What power all those innocents, including front and centre of the major Fairfax press here in Sydney 20th June 07 and many other places in Australia?

The Keilar family can believe the anger and frustration will be huge. Indeed we posed the question here "Where does the evil come from?" noting the cyclical nature of violence and the instinctive urge for revenge. We suggested a better Christian way somehow not the same old base aggression.  Today page 3 the Daily Telegraph today 22nd June in a comment by veteran Mal Farr, that paper states "PM leads the way against evil".

Not the evil that struck the Keilar family exactly causing their desperate searing loss, especially those kids well caught from falling into a crack by State Govt public intervention. (Bravo Victorian ALP Govt.) No, the PM is moving to catch the beautiful Aboriginal children falling in the cracks now, also victims of criminal violence. Will it work? We can only hope so.

See what I'm saying? The public awareness of duty to children is high. The challenge is very great on Black kids, and the reports are in again.

And to top it off the ALP federal Opposition have performed strongly on the federal govt's territory of the economics of productivity. Democracy really engaged, a real adversarial contest as here Wayne Swan: Howard, Costello in state of denial | Opinion | A moral victory for the Opposition in the conservative The Australian.

So the federal govt in this hard fought election year contest have moved in turn in reaction to poach the traditional territory of the traditional ALP being social welfare and support for Black Australia.

It may not be the most pure political motivation to shift the focus off the economics of productivity, or climate change debates the govt is surely losing, but the bipartisan general support to save child victims (demonstrated in Brendan Keilar's case above), must happen, for them but  for our own society's sake too. These damaged Aboriginal kids are the prison population of 5 and 10 years from now. The suicides. The petrol sniffers. The bank robbers.  It's as simple as that. The Howard govt want's to break the cycle the Left traditionally worry about too.

We feel all this is facilitated by the huge communication impact in the Big Media around Brendan's white kids as victims in a ripple effect from criminal violence, and the terrifying conundrum "Where does the evil come from?". The answer to that, we submit, is that it's all around us like benign bacteria and viruses that only become really dangerous in unhealthy environments turning toxic like the common cold into pneumonia this winter, we notice sending people in the political community to their sick bed.

It's the healthy social and general environment that we all as citizens have to work so hard at to nurture Australia's children. The kind of incredible endeavour and discipline demonstrated in Brendan Keilar's life for his kids.

You just keep achieving stuff don't you Brendan by your example and death. A life's work which is still travelling, and how.

We've seen this before - the transmutation of one semi related concern to another big concern in Big Politics: The angst and disgust at the hanging of a reformed Van Ngyuen in Singapore, resulting in huge public awareness and this Federal Govt reaction with hundreds of million$ in aid for other victims of circumstance in Asia - the Pakistan Earthquake in that case, and other initiatives. To prove to the voters our Govt does have a heart. They do of sorts, in a political context at least.

Those in the Big Media without these insights of the synergistic nature of morality with self interest in Big Politics are displaying understandable cynicism at the Howard Govt 'ambush' of the States and Territory Governemnts and 11 years of delay. Sure all reasoned suspicion but a bit narrow.

Last night on ABC PM Mark Colvin tested Minister Brough what had changed between an interview last Friday and yesterday afternoon only 6 days?  A Cabinet meeting was the response. A Cabinet meeting this week. Was it on Wednesday 20th June when those white children stared out of the front pages in silent accusation as victims one step removed from ultra criminal violence? Because if you care for them you must care for all children the victims of criminal violence regardless of race colour or creed.

Did those childish eyes one way or another bring the killer Hudson in to surrender? We suspect so. They certainly closed doorways to escape.

The key to understanding this big announcement is the PM's choice of rhetoric - 'what if it was in Dickson (a suburb of Canberra) or Melbourne or Sydney?' he asks. That's the picture of Brendan's kids articulated by the Prime Minister on my radio today. Howard's a father and he knows the power of those innocents with just a look or a word or a picture above. Indeed Howard was a city lawyer like Brendan with kids like him and he might well have recognised himself.

Claire Martin the NT First Minister for the ALP knows this is a road train sized political juggernaut of huge moral and legal proportions and she is right to say time to act bigger. The federal opposition leader too. If it's a legacy pride thing as one talk back caller says well I don't care a jot one way or another.

Let's see how the detail and cross cultural cooperation pans out including existing expertise in the sector. Maybe we Australians can make it better for a change?

..........................

Postscript #1 25th June 2005

Warren the cartoonist at the Sydney Telegraph has an inspired cartoon about the nature of high level politiking over this serious "above politics" issuem involving the life and death of our young Indigenous citizens. Leveraging another story evocative picture story on page 7 "Like bats out of hell - Endangered creature swoops on park land" (offline for now), combined with the fact of end of Parliamentary sessions in Canberra for the next 6 weeks or more, Warren offers this:

Posted by editor at 10:08 AM NZT

Updated: Monday, 25 June 2007 11:09 AM NZT

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Mood:  sharp

This article in the Weekend Australian, Noel Pearson

The ideal equilibrium | The Australian Your Say Blog

should have read - John Howard’s 1996 betrayal of “practical reconciliation” $40M broken election promise for Cape York Land Use Agreement (CYLUA). Because those are the seeds of the desperation that Pearson is complaining about but refuses to acknowledge in his article:

Here is the reference for that broken 1996 election promise, compounded again in 1998 with another broken pre election media release promise of Minister Robert Hill

$40 Million in Federal Funding for Cape York Plan Media Release 16 ...

The money was never paid to jump start employment in the Cape and the CYLUA became a dead letter despite 1996 promises to support it prior to the Howard election ousting Paul Keating. The Wilderness Society corroborates this real history of Noel Pearson's new friends amongst the conservatives:

The Wilderness Society - Cape York and Robert Hill's folly

Noel Pearson makes egregious slurs in his column this weekend. A slur that must not go unanswered. Nor should his airbrushing of the Howard Govt’s wicked failures in regards to implementation of the Cape York Land Use Agreement of 1996.

First the slur

“Few tears are shed when thousands die and billions suffer. It may be the underlying psychology of extreme Western environmentalism is that mass depopulation from disease and starvation would be an ecological benefit.”

But who exactly, specifically holds these views in Australia, Mr Pearson? The truth is the sensitivity to the rights of the environment springs from the same respect for all life and Indigenous People and culture.

I want to know if Pearson is accusing this writer of such. Specifically. If he is I will be looking at a defamation action.

In all of his article this weekend he omits in the most sleazy way the history under Howard that he lauds including achievement via one Greg Sargent of The Wilderness Society who tragically died of skin cancer some years ago, and can't speak for himself.

The context of the weasly Pearson article above such as disgusting editorial here and accompanying articles by “environment reporter” Matthew Warren here 

Extreme greens prevent growth

and here

Green means go for show | Science & nature | The Australian

tells its all.

Warren is the anti climate change green writer from the Coal Lobby that puts mafia in the phrase 'greenhouse mafia'. What will sea rise do to the Cape or the wetlands I wonder? And let's not forget Warren's pro uranium mining position for his paper, after the weapons testing in the jungles up there on the Cape decades ago. Here is the referencing ABC TV Documentaries: Fortress Australia

(We are advised that film by Peter Butt refers to a simulated nuclear test in the Iron Range National Park around 1972, and the local police sergeant died of a mysterious illness 10 months later.)

So we feel Pearson is indeed being positioned as the catspaw of big capital against independent and committed green movement which includes the The Wilderness Society, not beholden to any political party, unlike WWF to the Coalition, or ACF to the Labor Party, both big business in alliance setting.

It is all so pathetically transparent and immoral as the smear by Waren of Kevin Rudd’s Prius presumably chosen not only for greenhouse claims, but also for it's low particulate pollution impact, in urban areas at least as important an environmental agenda, and probably recyclables. These latter criteria are totally airbrushed in that article same edition of the paper. Typical. Toyota no doubt make other claims about their environmental performance that can be debated but at least they are pitching.

Why no mention of the Howard betrayal of “practical reconciliation” with the broken election promise of $40M to implement a pro cattle and agri industry model in that CYLUA? There was plenty of industry agenda within that CYLUA under Farley, Sergeant and Jacko.

That’s Pearson’s political bias and pandering to the current Howard govt, as charged by Mick Dodson in the Fairfax Press 2 weeks ago: Favoured leaders slated as government 'pets' - National - smh.com.au

I personally find the slur above an outrageous smear, and a disgusting wild exageration. Only weeks ago I was doing legal checking to reinforce Sam Watson’s interview on the Palm Island Death in Custody scandal for broadcast here on Ch31 Sydney, the same Sam Watson who features on the same page as Warren’s sleaze piece: 

Symbol clash at Palm cop's trial | The Nation | The Australian

In 1989 I completed my honours thesis: A legal foundation for Aboriginal Land Rights at ANU Law School virtually predicting the Mabo no.2 High Court decision in favour of native title rights, that launched Noel Pearson’s public profile. And I've kept faith with that 15 years since.

So the evil ultra violence inflicted on the Aboriginal people, which has precious little to do with the environment movement and who have been horrified by these historic wrongs, have taken their course with Pearson seeking revenge against the white people who love(d) him and love the Aboriginal culture possibly the most from our side of a wide gulf.

Isn’t it always the way, that you hurt the people who love you most simply because they are closest on the political spectrum. That’s another form of victim mentality, and shame. Stop taking your pain out on the greens Noel. It's not right. And it's not fair.

...............................................

Postscript #1 Monday 11th June 2007

What appears to be happening with Noel Pearson from the recent  Australian Story Cry Me a River is that he is getting fat and middle aged, tired and jaundiced. He says as much that he 'is sick of this struggle' and wants a normal life. But the hard, profound truth from one who knows, is in a vocation regarding huge historical issues like social and land justice for Indigenous the world over, and environmental destruction by Big Capital the struggle is NEVER over.

It's not a timeline based on one person's life cycle or what life stage they have arrived at.

Later on yesterday after our angry repudiation of Pearson's generic smear we read this below at the heart of Pearson's media and industry allies at The Australian same edition page 40 9-10 June 2007 - shale oil extremism, as an indicator how these guys just don't get climate change imperatives AT ALL let alone sustainable development:

"In the high desert near Rifle, Colorado, rods 600m underground to heat the shale to 370 degrees Celsius, the tempereature at which Teflon melts. The heat will be applied for the next four years to convert the hydrocarbons ....into high quality crude ....

"The old technique required them to dig the equivalent of the Panama Canal every month", said former Colorado governor Richard Lamm, whose tenure from 1975 to 1987 included the last attempt to extract oil from shale. "This new approach is a much more sane process, but that's all relative," Lamm says. "They're doing this in an immensely fragile area where wagon ruts from the Oregon Trail in the 1840's are still visible. It doesn't excite me because I think they're about to indelibly change our state."

And this shale is not some boutique aspiration, as the lead in says:

"Colorado and Utah have as much oil as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Venezeula, Nigeria, Kuwait, Libya, Angola, Algeria, Indonesia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates combined." 

and later

"If we waited a few million years, all this stuff would turn to oil" Rand's Bartis says. "Some people don't want to wait that long."

You can't get a better warning about extreme capitalism to the custodians of a 40,000 year old Aboriginal culture than that on Cape York. And there is shale oil in Qld too The Stuart shale oil project: will it be Beattie's Ningaloo or his ... , but if not shale oil someother extreme developer agenda. And if Pearson thinks he can ride that kind of bucking monster into a tame pony he is living an illusion. Big Capital is not like that and not interested a jot in respecting the human and environmental values of the Cape. It's all about big money and power. And vulnerability of middle aged men.

Postscript #2

Part A 

The Australian declined to publish my submission last night on their comments page to the story above:

This is what we wrote this morning, as well as copying the above to the Pearson's Cape York Insitute by email, and notice the challenge to the Murdoch press to publish this below or be exposed for censorship:

at 10.35 am 11th June 2005

http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/yoursay/index.php/theaustralian/comments/the_ideal_equilibrium/P20/

It was John Howard and his minister Robert Hill who refused to support the pro economic development Cape York Land Use Agreement with greens and pastoralists as promised at both the 1996 and 1998 election.

Howard's regime destroyed that living treaty causing Pearson's cries of desperation now. And now he seems to be doing Howard's work as a wedge and a catspaw, as pointed out by Mick Dodson in the Fairfax press, as described on my blog.

Prove it isn't so, if you can, Noel Pearson in the lead up to this federal election. I am copying this to my blog to see if The Australian has the guts to publish it.

Unlike the censoring of my submission of last night ... tsk tsk, democracy of the blog, but only as far as you can control it?

www.sydneyalternativemedia.com

..................

Part B

Posted by editor at 9:32 PM NZT

Updated: Saturday, 16 June 2007 10:25 AM NZT

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Mood:  caffeinated

Media backgrounder:

Picture: Tim Blair right wing blogger has realised like Wendy Deng wife of Rupert Murdoch, that Kevin Rudd's language skills are a profound change for the better when we have many big issues with China on climate change and security this next decade. Inset is the wonderful David Rowe in today's Sydney SunHerald echo of this below - great outdoor chess set at local community centre.

- good economic figures airbrush under employment figures but never mentioned

-         Keating riposte to Costello alleged economic mastery on Lateline

-         G8 on climate change preface to APEC in Sept 07

10 Meet the Press 8-8.30 am

Kevin Rudd front, sounding  a little head cold fluey but clear and moderated.

Petrol monitoring.

Kyoto attack by PM footage. China and India massive increase coal generated ghg.

Rudd attacks ‘Pledge and Review’ back to late 90ies. Sounds strong. Carbon target, carbon trading. Canada 20% by 2020. Q. Nuclear as there? KR dodges saying market is the answer.

Never ever silly on nuclear. Leave to market. Sounding strong on clean renewables. Rich array achieve without taking on extra safety and environmental problems.

Joe Hockey as shrek with nice Scottish accent. Keating watched it shows he’s got too much time on his hands?

Panel quality of 2, Michelle Grattan Age Melbourne, Clinton Porteus Courier Mail Murdoch Brisbane, this is the Keating fall out section …

MG kicks off …even Keating says …..

Even under Keating …. In 90ies 3.2% productivity growth – straight out paraphrase of Keating on Lateline. All these road tested lines coming out re world boom IMF, World Bank.

Union threats – KR refers to Hawke Accord examples of 80ies. Fundamental economic reforms. Proud labour history – again responding to PK concerns.

Union knocked off Linda Kirk endorsed by Shoppies official asks MG.

CP – unemployment – ignores question goes to productivity, great silent story. PB brings him back – goes to training.

Max Gillies – via Get Up “claims to be independent” runs YouTube piece link

Footage of Howard change for the better mantra – time for change idea faltering?                     

No restore the balance, work family balance, housing affordability, Iraq, climate, education, new technology.

CP doing the Murdoch press job, Qld full page adverts in central QLD take on Beatie. Disagrees on local govt amalgamations. Voluntary.

MG – donate a home for the PM, by the business community in Melbourne. KR - Shouldn’t use Lodge or Kirribili for fundraising.

MG – Shergold playing political role, public service heads. Restore westminister. Times up.

Transcript in due course www.ten.com.au/meetthepress

7 Weekend Sunrise, 8.35-40 am Riley Diary  -

Very interesting and amusing again. Satire of PM but equally cutting of Rudd stuff up IF he were PM.

Mostly entertaining. Female compare in her stride too. Andrew is still the most natural with his chisel/dentist comment.

2 and 9 to follow

Sunday 9

http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/default.asp

Insiders 2

Conroy on IT future, praises Hawke Keating achievements.

Everyperson segment – missed it.

Panel – Middleton SBS, Marr SMH, Ackerman Murdoch Sydney tabloid Sydney Telegraph.

Paul Kelly Murdoch broadsheet – on economic figures -

Panel talk on Keating stuff.

G8 climate change, Pell in NSW, Milne cracker story hurting PM Howard

Talking pics with Peter Andren MHR independent.

Akerman foreshadows more stories of nasty union behaviour this week.

Home page is http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/

Posted by editor at 10:59 AM NZT

Updated: Friday, 18 January 2008 11:11 AM EADT

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The bizarre situation where NSW lawyer working for the Qld government Sir Laurence Street is talking to the media as if his visit to Palm Island yesterday is merely coincidental to this horrific death of a 'a critical witness' is great cause for concern. The lead story in the Brisbane Courier Mail today (a one newspaper town, owned by News Ltd) is deeply disturbing and worth publishing in full below.

If 24 year old Patrick Bramwell died by suicide it raises the whole question of Street strictly ruling out taking 'any new evidence', and 'rejecting an open ended inquiry'  as reported in general media and here at SAM dated 5th January plus postscript updates (found by clicking top right date card):

5th January 2007

Sir Laurence Street really the corruption reformer wanted by many in the Doomadgee wrongful death case, after AWB comments?

and whether Street's approach tipped a depressed young man over the edge, that no one would listen to his witness, not Street, not the broader institutions of society for the last 2 or 3 years. If there was foul play, that speaks for itself.

The proximity of the police, already under a big shadow, the night before his death, the severe political exposure of the Qld ALP government to date, the on the record conservatism of Street the lawyer sent in to fix the controversy, suggests the administration of justice in Qld is well off the rails.

SAM's editor quite separately has heard direct witness there is quite a deal of entrenched corruption in the Qld police well after the famous 1987 Qld Fitzgerald Royal Commission into deep problems there.

This writer cannot get out of his mind the report that investigating police had dinner the night they arrived on Palm Island with the officer Chris Hurley who was being investigated. And the finding of the coroner strongly implicating the same Hurley yet no prosecution proceeding.

This Courier Mail story speaks volumes:

Cellmate found hanged

 By Peter Michael : THE review into the Palm Island death in custody will continue despite the death of another man who was lying beside Mulrunji when he died in a jail cell more than two years ago.

Mulrunji's silent witness

January 16, 2007 11:00pm

THE review into the Palm Island death in custody will continue despite the death of another man who was lying beside Mulrunji when he died in a jail cell more than two years ago.

Patrick Bramwell was found dead by his grandmother on Palm Island early yesterday, ending his life without the day in court he said he craved to tell his version of the tragic story.

His death came just hours before former NSW chief justice Sir Laurence Street visited the island as part of his review into the controversial decision not to recommend charges over Mulrunji's death.

Director of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare said last month there was not enough evidence to prove that former Palm Island police officer Chris Hurley "was criminally responsible" for the death of Mulrunji. Senior Sergeant Hurley was accused of bashing Mulrunji.

An autopsy found the man suffered four broken ribs, a ruptured liver and a ruptured portal vein.

Sir Laurence said yesterday the death of the key witness was unlikely to affect his final report, which could be completed within a week.

"He was a witness, but he was not (in that sense) indispensable," Sir Laurence said.

"We have one witness less but his evidence was part of the overall material of which there is eight ring-lock binders of documents."

Bramwell, 24, was found hanging from a tree in his front yard by his heartbroken grandmother Muriel Bramwell about midnight on Monday.

His life ended where all the trouble began – the same spot where, two years ago, his friend Mulrunji walked past and abused community police liaison officer Lloyd Bengaroo as Bramwell was being arrested for drunkenness.

His death gave Sir Laurence an emotional encounter first-hand with the tragedy and despair of Palm Island.

Bramwell was arrested by police for swearing on November 19, 2004, just before Mulrunji was arrested for the same offence.

The two men, who knew each other, were taken to the watchhouse in the same paddy wagon and shared the same jail cell.

Mulrunji later died from injuries deputy state coroner Christine Clements found had been caused by Snr Sgt Hurley during a scuffle at the police watchhouse.

Dressed in a dapper grey suit, tie, white hat and carrying a leather-bound walking cane, Sir Laurence, a respected former chief justice of New South Wales, met with the grieving Bramwell family on the veranda of their humble three-bedroom home.

"It is a very sad day to be here," said Sir Laurence, flanked by a team of legal advisers.

"My visit has been made even more poignant to come here on a day like this because its very tragic."

"I wanted to pay our respects and express our regrets," Sir Laurence said.

Bramwell's father, Patrick Bramwell senior, yesterday said his son's death came after police had detained the youth during a late-night drunken argument with his sister and had driven him 10 minutes out of town "to cool down".

Muriel Bramwell, 68, said she looked out her window about midnight and saw the young man hanging in the almond tree in her front yard.

"There was no wind blowing, he was dead still," said the grieving aboriginal elder. "I called for help and they took him down, I wanted to blow air into him, but it was too late."

This death follows the death-in-custody of Mulrunji and the subsequent suicide of Mulrunji's 19-year-old son Eric.

Palm Island men's group spokesman Robert Blackley said:

"It is not just a personal loss but a massive blow in our case against Hurley."

Sir Laurence yesterday shook hands with schoolchildren and visited the site of Mulrunji's death and the local council during his hour-and-a-half visit to the island, 60km north-east of Townsville.

He said he expected to finish his report "within days if not the week".

.....................................

And refer this report by very experienced journalist Malcolm Brown on legal matters of Fairfax on location http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/palm-island-mourns-third-death/2007/01/16/1168709754663.html

.............................

Pretty much the same story at rival The Australian here: Mulrunji's cell mate found dead. One thing rings true from Street in the story here - a determination to press on given 'tragedy all around'. But that's a double edged sword including consideration of all relevant evidence (which is a very sound principle of administrative law actually), not some inflexible refusal to ignore new evidence because it's ostensibly beyond a politician's 'terms of reference' of an inquiry with all the vested interest that might involve. In short Street is wrong in the SAM editor's view to parade such a  minimalist approach to his task at Palm Island, re Cole on AWB or Fitzgerald Royal Commission back in 1987. Especially when society and politics look to lawyers for leadership when the chips are really down. Not minimalism as a so called budgeting virtue. In short f*ck the budget. Get the truth.

Postscript #1

Crikey.com.au ezine January 18th O7 writes

8. The sorry state of indigenous affairs in Qld just got sorrier

Graham Ring from the National Indigenous Times writes:

Queensland’s Beattie Government has thus far seemed guilty only of staggering ineptitude in its administration of Indigenous affairs. However a report from Tony Koch in today’s Australian raises the stakes beyond mere incompetence, suggesting that the Government has deliberately suppressed a report which details the extent of Indigenous disadvantage in Queensland.

The report, prepared last year at the behest of former minister John Mickel, warned of the “urgent need to improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples standard of living” and recommended “immediate and sustained action to reduce the disparity in all life stages”.

However, this damning document never saw the light of day. After racking up another crushing election victory in September of last year, Beattie moved quickly to abolish the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy, merging its functions into the Department of Communities.

However, any post-election attempt by the government to downplay issues of Indigenous justice was foiled by saturation media coverage of the Coroner’s inquiry into the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee in police custody on Palm Island in November 2004.

Only weeks after the election, Queensland’s acting state coroner Christine Clements handed down her findings into the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee. which had occurred almost two years earlier. The Coroner concluded that the actions of Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley caused the fatal injuries. Yet, Queensland’s Director of Public Prosecutions Leanne Clare found that Hurley had no charge to answer, describing the death as a "terrible accident".

The public outrage that followed saw the Beattie Government in damage control, citing the independence of the DPP and attempting to tough things out. With the government bleeding badly, Attorney General Kerry Shine eventually wrote to the DPP advising her that a review of the decision would be "strongly supported" by Premier Beattie. Clare was unmoved, issuing a statement saying that if the case had gone to trial "no law abiding citizen…would have found this man guilty."

The following day, Shine released an extraordinary statement, saying that Clare had made an "unexpected offer" to provide him with the file on the Palm Island death. Retired Queensland District Court judge, Pat Shanahan, was commissioned to conduct the review. However Shanahan stood down just days later when it became public knowledge that he had been part of the panel that appointed Clare as DPP in 2000.

In an effort to rescue the situation, the Beattie Government went beyond Queensland’s borders and appointed distinguished NSW jurist Sir Laurence Street to review the matter.

Street’s report is expected to be completed within weeks.

Then came the news yesterday that 24-year-old Mr Bramwell - who had shared Mulrunji’s cell on the night he died - hanged himself on Palm Island last Monday, amidst allegations that he had been subject to police pressure not to talk about events surrounding Mulrunji’s death. This further tragedy underscores the sorry tale of the Queensland Government’s mishandling of events.

With the ham-fisted bungling of the Shanahan appointment, and the tragic suicide of Bramwell, things have gone pear-shaped for the Beattie Government. The suppressed report obtained by The Oz suggests that the fruit is rotten to the core.

With the Government now haemorrhaging, and Indigenous leaders like Noel Pearson and Warren Mundine continuing to apply the blow-torch, perhaps only a Royal Commission will see public confidence fully restored.

Posted by editor at 8:38 AM EADT

Updated: Thursday, 18 January 2007 2:38 PM EADT

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Mood:  sharp

Senator Rachel Siewert
Australian Greens Senator for WA


Monday 8 January 2007

Destruction of rock art to commence on the Burrup


"This Government and Woodside will go down in the history books as
vandals for allowing the destruction of rock art on the Burrup", said
Senator Rachel Siewert today.

"I'm extremely disappointed with the news that Woodside is commencing initial site works on their Burrup Pluto site today."
"I can not believe that in this day and age our Governments think it is acceptable to destroy ancient rock art to allow development," said
Senator Siewert.

"It is not too late to relocate the development onto already cleared
land next-door to the current site. Surely Woodside can negotiate with its joint venture partners to protect this unique rock art?"

"Woodside have not even made the final decision to commit to the
project, and reportedly will not be making this decision until later in
the year - yet they are still proceeding with initial site works," said
Senator Siewert.

We need to ask why they are rushing to clear the site now - is it simply because in the New Year period they think people won't be paying attention?"

"I simply cannot understand why the Federal Government is not requiring Woodside to co-locate the plant just a couple of hundred metres up the road - thereby enabling the development to proceed and saving the rock art," said Senator Siewert.

"Our failure to protect our unique Indigenous heritage is an
international shame."

Posted by editor at 9:22 AM EADT

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Mood:  special

Enclosed is the new [Sovereignty] Day poster authorised by Michael Anderson Aboriginal. The new poster extends an invitation to stay there at the Tent Embassy till Tuesday, February 6th, to prepare actions for the opening of Parliament 2007.
It has been stressed that drugs and alcohol not be brought onto the site and to support and respect the Aboriginal agenda.

Benny Zable

Posted by editor at 7:35 PM EADT

Updated: Saturday, 6 January 2007 9:11 AM EADT

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