Multi Tasking

Went on a River cruise last night, end of year function. Up the Swan & dinner at some winery or other: all in all, very pleasant. The funny thing was the crew from the boat were also serving the food, bringing the alcohol out and clearing the tables. There was a musician playing background music on some keys and the bloke sitting next to me said, pound to a penny the crew will start singing soon. Sure enough, out came a microphone and a couple of the crew took turns singing us 'Barry Manilow' type music! They also sang on the boat on the way back to Perth after dinner! I guess they are members of all the re3levant unions...

20 years after the Royal Commission Into Aboriginal Deaths In Custody

The WA State cabinet has backed the introduction of the Prohibited Behaviour Orders Bill, which would give courts the power to make civil orders when dealing with repeat offenders aged over 14.

Under the legislation, the court would have the discretion to publish offenders' details on a government website. This includes their name, their photograph, the suburb in which they live and the terms of the order.

Orders could be issued for offences ranging from alcohol-fuelled violence to misbehaviour on public transport, and would be in addition to any criminal penalty.

Under the legislation, any breach of the order would be liable for a penalty of up to two years' jail or $6,000 in the magistrates court or children's court, or up to five years' jail or a fine of $10,000 in higher jurisdictions.


The emphasis for juvenile offenders should be on rehabilitation, not retribution and public shaming.

Healthy Fast Food?

There was also a similar sign for healthy fried chicken!

Close the Gap & Tobacco

Lowering the consumption of tobacco is the key to closing the life expectancy gap of Indigenous Australians. The targets that have been set are ambitious. We need to see innovative methods of communicating the 'Say No To Smokes' message. There must be a whole range of strategies in prevention and health promotion, not just treatment and medical models.

Blues at Bridgetown 2009

Blues at Bridgetown was action packed with a terrific lineup in 2009. Hamilton Loomis was one of the highlights for me. Young contemporary musician who is comfortable moving between blues, funk and rock. Someone to watch in the future; and of course listen to now!

Welfare quarantining

If we are prepared to tolerate income management for people receiving welfare benefits, why shouldn’t the Government step in to manage the income of all Australians?

Expanding income management across the country will demonise more people on the basis of dodgy evidence.

The controversial measure, introduced in 2007 as part of the Federal Government's intervention into the Northern Territory, was yesterday extended to low socio-economic groups across the country.

Welfare quarantining dictates that at least 50 per cent of welfare payments are spent on necessities, such as food, clothing and rent.

Continuing concerns about the Northern Territory Emergency Response

You might have heard Macklin has announced today that welfare quarantining will be applied to all those on income support in the Northern Territory shortly, with the rest of the nation to follow at an unspecified time thereafter.

Two bills were introduced Wednesday 25th November 2009 (today).

Extending income management to all welfare recipients in the Northern Territory will disproportionately and adversely affect Aboriginal people in Northern Territory.

It seems that the mooted idea that compulsory income management could be made a special measure under the Racial Discrimination Act, has been discarded by the Government as indefensible.

The Government is now proposing changes to compulsory income management in the Northern Territory from 1 July next year.

The Government will, end the suspension of the Race Discrimination Act but, by targeting low-income and disadvantaged people, these measures will still disproportionately and adversely affect Aboriginal people, who are over-represented in these groups.


Many more Aboriginal people who lived outside the original 73 prescribed communities of the NT will be affected for the first time.

A New Day for Noongar Native Title?

I decided to start a new blog site yesterday on hearing the news that the WA Cabinet has decided to discontinue its challenge to Noongar Native Title. As I commented to one media outlet this morning:

"This is terrific news for the Noongar people and an historic turning point in government policy," the convenor of Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation in WA, Stephen Hall, said today.

"It has been a great irony that the WA Government has recognised Noongar people as the traditional custodians of Perth and the South-West in many public ceremonies and yet failed to acknowledge their possible native title rights.

"We look forward to the outcomes of these negotiations."

this is an important first step in the right direction; as there is still a long way to go in reaching a just and proper settlement.

this essentially puts the process back to where Willcox left it in 2006, when he said in closing that the best way to proceed would be to negotiate rather than appeal and litigate.