20 Years of Hard Labor: A Call for Accountability and Reform
Can Canberra afford the debt that comes with Andrew Barr's Labor-led government?
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October 11, 2024
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Human Rights / Racism / White Australia
The Hypocrisy of Labor Leadership in the ACT: A Closer Look at Human Rights Commitments
The integrity of our public institutions relies on the unwavering application of human rights principles, particularly when it comes to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community.
September 25, 2024
What's behind the mask?
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Human Rights / Racism / Stanhope Government / White Australia
Unmasking the ACT Labor Government’s Human Rights Charade
Reposted with permission from canberralabor.com Hey everyone! ? Today, I want to dive into a topic that’s been bugging me for a while now – the ACT Labor government and…
September 24, 2024
Peter Garrison, ACT Solicitor-General
Accountability / ACT Government / Discrimination / Former Commissioner / Justice / Law / Racism / Rule of Law
Just-us in the ACT: Undermining the rule of law from the top
"The rule of law ... is wielded - not arbitrarily, but with accountability and predictability." Mark Dreyfuss, Attorney-General, Australia
July 12, 2024
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Federal Police / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Justice / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law / Uncategorized
20 Years of friends in the Australian Federal Police
Some days demand that we pause to reflect on an event on the same date in the past. For Blak and Black that day is 9 May and this year marks 20 years since Angel Marina wrote his now widely recognised letter of racism against the ACT Government’s then most senior Indigenous employee.
May 9, 2022
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Labor Party / Bill of Rights / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Diversity / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Human Rights / Justice / Racism / Stanhope Government
The Legacy of ACT Labor, 20 years of lazy government
Labor has led government for two decades in the Australian Capital Territory. With the impending election on October 17 many Canberrans should be considering what substantive benefits their leaders have…
September 26, 2020
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Labor Party / Bill of Rights / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Human Rights / Justice / Racial Discrimination Act / Racism / Stanhope Government / Uncategorized
The ACT Barr Government, ducking the hard calls for another term
Why was Mullins fitted-up for seeking a missing public interest disclosure and why does the Barr Government not ensure transparency?
September 19, 2020
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Bill of Rights / Commonwealth Ombudsman / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Racial Discrimination Act / Racism / Respect / Stanhope Government / Uncategorized / White Australia
Jon Stanhope, the man who washed his hands of Mullins
“Jon Stanhope appeared to see the world as both binary and polar. All that is good in the world was embodied by the Labor party, and all that is bad…
August 8, 2020
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Discrimination/Racism / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Racism / Reconciliation / Stanhope Government
Reconciliation – now is the time
I want to tell you a story about a woman, Born in the first quarter of the twentieth century in an indigenous community, Who knew life on the land, a…
May 27, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Bill of Rights / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Law Enforcement / Police / Racial Discrimination Act / Racism
A fish rots from the head
The most recent public airing of a racist attack on a Korean man and his aunt visiting from his homeland has prompted another round of self-reflection on the Australian psyche.…
April 9, 2013
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Bill of Rights / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law / Sexism
Hypocrisy underscoring the ACT’s Bill of Rights
''Quite often before they get there [to court] they have done something quite serious. It becomes quite difficult because the offending behaviour is the first point that you've got to…
January 13, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Justice / Law Enforcement / Mental Health / Racism / Rule of Law / Sexism / Stanhope Government / Xenophobia
A Contributing Life: the reality of Australia’s first people
“… people with mental health problems want the same thing as everyone else. Even the disadvantaged should be able to lead a contributing life. This can mean many things. It…
December 25, 2012
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Federal Police / Australian Labor Party / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Former Commissioner / Fred Martens / Government / Human Rights / Julian Moti / Law Enforcement / Rule of Law
The rule of law and the democratic process
“No-one ever argues that governments should have less integrity, that elected officials should not be accountable, or that public servants should behave unethically. Broad statements of the value of integrity,…
December 10, 2012
Australian Federal Police / Australian Labor Party / Corruption / Counter-terrorism laws / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / Domestic Law / Former Commissioner / Fred Martens / Julian Moti / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Police / Rule of Law
Nemo nisi Nomen
…believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, [we] have determined to set…
November 29, 2012
Corruption / Culture / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Former Commissioner / Fred Martens / Human Rights / Julian Moti / Justice / Racism / Religion / Rule of Law / Sexism / Shared humanity
Right versus religion
Last week one comment on twitter to some of the Blak and Black crew resulted in considerable discussion about the underlying intent of this wee blog. The commenter, apparently thinking…
November 21, 2012
Monkey see, monkey do
“Behead all those who insult the prophet!” So read the banner in Sydney on Saturday, in a protest ignited by a film released in the United States. Really, the lack…
September 17, 2012
ACT Government / Asia-Pacific / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Ernst & Young / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Refugee Policy / Refugees / Respect / Shared humanity / Solomon Islands / Stolen Generation
Charity begins at home
Charity begins at home. Some agree, some do not. But the simple fact is that our treatment of those close to us sets the foundations for our behaviours toward others.…
August 12, 2012
ACT Government / AHRC/HREOC / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Ombudsman / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Ernst & Young / Former Commissioner / Government / Law Enforcement / Racial Discrimination Act / Rule of Law
Do as I say, don’t do as I do
I’ve debated about the title of this post, torn with an alternative following on from the statement in one's Aboriginal heritage with a title that would allude to John Howard…
May 12, 2012
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Federal Police / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Ernst & Young / Former Commissioner / Government / Law / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law
Call me black: Proud to be an Aborigine!
The following verse is to Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting Jack Johnson, 1982 acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas. Jean-Michel Basquiat died at 27 years old from an overdose. He was the…
May 5, 2012
ACT Government / Australian Federal Police / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Ernst & Young / Former Commissioner / Genocide by stealth / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law / Shared humanity
A prayer to the Gods
Watershedd is usually the more moderate of the contributors to Blak and Black. On this occasion Watershedd has shed the veil of temperance and speaks with the raw emotion of…
May 2, 2012