Latest news with #Armidale
The Australian
11-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Trainer Stirling Osland saddles up So You Are at Randwick
Armidale trainer Stirling Osland will head to Royal Randwick on Saturday with plenty of optimism as his lightly raced prospect So You Are starts his second preparation. The So You Think three-year-old came a long way in the short space of six starts during his first preparation and he takes on the older horses when resuming in the TAB Highway Plate (1600m). So You Are has won twice and placed another four times, his last two starts were in Benchmark 78 and 80 grade in open city class races. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'I'm hoping he's grown up as a racehorse this prep,' Osland said. 'You look at that race where he finished second behind Philipsburg, he should have torched him. 'He went past him, ran to the front and then waited for them. 'He was an emergency in the (Australian) Derby, and we were dead set going to have a crack if we got a run. 'I think he's a proper nice horse that can stay and he's open to so much improvement mentally.' Stirling Osland with Calico Miss after winning a Highway at Royal Randwick last month. Photo: Bradley Photos • Shayno & Mitch's Randwick preview, tips: $11 chance to 'fire fresh' So You Are is one of the better-weighted horses in Saturday's set weights event being a Benchmark 73-rated horse and Osland said punters shouldn't be concerned that his charge hasn't trialled publicly ahead of his return. 'People might look at Saturday and say first-up over a mile without a trial, you can't do that, but we've had our sights on this race since he went to the paddock last preparation, and he's done enough work,' he said. 'He's a clean-winded, naturally fit horse and first-up at the mile, it's not a question mark in the world for me. 'He's a horse with upside, a lot of upside and I don't think a Highway will be the high point of his career.' So You Are winning at Scone back in March. Photo: Bradley Photos. • EXPERT TIPS: Clinton Payne's race-by-race tips and analysis for Randwick on Saturday Dylan Gibbons takes the ride on So You Are on Saturday and the rising four-year-old jumps from barrier 13 in the 15 horse field. has So You Are listed as a $12 chance with In Summer the $3.60 favourite ahead of Premise at $4.
ABC News
07-07-2025
- General
- ABC News
Speaking in my ancestors' tongues
Dr Ray Kelly Snr is the Chair of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council. He is a Dhangatti and Gumbayngirr man who grew up in Silver City, an Aboriginal Reserve outside Armidale. His mother tongues have surrounded Ray his whole life. The creativity of language and storytelling drew him in, around the fire at night. Ray's Nan would bring to life her grandfather, Joe Woods, the medicine man with his two medicine dogs. When Ray's grandfather was asked to translate the word "telephone" into Gumbayngirr, he responded, 'muuya barrigi'. Flying breath. As an adult, when Ray started listening to recordings of his elders, collected in the 1960s and 70s, he heard something new. Further information Originally broadcast April 2024. Read about Ray's work reviving Indigenous languages with the Wollotuka Institute at The University of Newcastle. Find out more about the Conversations Live National Tour on the ABC website.
Sydney Morning Herald
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Trump's military parade is out of step with reality
I was staggered by the sight of Donald Trump saluting the US military as they passed him in a parade supposedly celebrating the US armed forces (' Trump celebrates birthday with grand military parade ', June 14). The hypocrisy of a person who avoided the Vietnam War draft when his father got some dodgy doctor to say Donald had 'heel spurs' is remarkable. Trump's hide in even turning up for this parade, in my mind, was the ultimate insult to American servicemen and women. This is the person who stood in an American war cemetery above the D-Day beaches and called those buried there 'losers and suckers'. Perhaps the fact that so many of the marching troops were hopelessly out of step as they passed Trump was their way of protesting. Kevin Farrell, Beelbangera As a retired Australian serviceman who served in Vietnam alongside the US forces, may I say how disgusted I was by the so-called 'parade' of current US Army troops 'marching' in Washington today. I have never seen a worse, more dejected, poorly trained, slump-shouldered group, except perhaps a gang of condemned prisoners. They were a disgrace to themselves and their country. On the other hand, I salute the people of LA and other US cities who are refusing to kowtow to the dictator in the White House. If they overcome the current tyranny, perhaps the US can again claim to be 'the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave'. Ian Usman Lewis, Armidale Perhaps some more billions could have been spent to get the troops to march in step. The armies of Russia, China and North Korea will play repeats of Trump's parade to display the lack of discipline in the 'Great Marines'. I imagine that even top UK regiments will replace the breakfast News with this show as entertainment ahead of the magnificent parades for King Charles. Wolf Kempa, Lithgow The United States may have military capabilities that far outweigh the potential of 'little Britain', but a comparison of their foot soldiers reveals a significant difference. At the weekend, television images of the Washington parade showed American soldiers sauntering along as if they were out for an afternoon stroll, while images of a parade in London showcased the UK military's discipline and precision. Perhaps Trump's lack of discipline is being reflected in the nation's military. Derrick Mason, Boorowa He managed to avoid service himself but presided over a parade in which soldiers appeared to be strolling casually down Constitution Avenue. The same man recently set military forces against his own citizens. Meanwhile, a world-threatening situation has developed in the Middle East. Something is not quite right here. Bill Forbes, Medowie Trump's military parade is, I think, a poor imitation of those by dictators Putin, Kim, Hitler and Mussolini. John Harris, Goulburn Point-scoring fails Does Angus Taylor really believe that if a meeting between Anthony Albanese and Trump does not occur at the G7 it will be the fault of Albanese and not the capriciousness and malignity of Trump (' Taylor targets Albanese over Trump meeting', June 14)? The Liberal Party will not recover when point scoring is prioritised over truth. Salvatore Sorbello, Campsie Coalition parliamentarians are everywhere in the 'old' media of late. Doesn't anybody else want to be interviewed? They have been delivering loud opinions on everything and anything, enough to make you think they are in government. They're not. Ninety-four Labor seats say so. Labor won by shifting away from traditional media outlets to talk to a different crowd. Political interviews from Coalition has-beens are irrelevant, hence the demise of many political panel shows. Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill Nuclear balance sheet Israel has between 90 and 400 nuclear warheads. The actual number is uncertain due a lack of transparency by the Israeli state (' Israel strikes Iran nuclear facilities ', June 14). This is a deliberate policy of nuclear ambiguity by Israel, something no other nation is allowed to get away with. The country has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. The US has never formally acknowledged the existence of Israel's nuclear weapons, allowing it to keep supplying arms and aid to Israel. Yet despite the world knowing of Israel's arsenal, Israel refuses to countenance Iran possessing such weapons, describing them as an existential threat. Whatever our views of Israel or Iran, the question of why it is considered acceptable for one nation to possess nuclear weapons but not another needs urgent examining in light of Israel's latest air strikes on Iran. Judy Hungerford, Kew (Vic) It's difficult to comprehend the reason for Israel's attacks. The country has between 90 and 400 nuclear weapons, produced in its nuclear facilities in Dimona since the late 1960s. However, it consistently attacks Iran's nuclear facilities although Iran does not have a single nuclear weapon. This maintains a major strategic imbalance of power in the Middle East. The balance of power in the West arose from both US and the Soviet Union having roughly equal numbers of nuclear weapons. Israel has also refused to sign the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, putting it at odds with other nuclear powers in the West and the Indian subcontinent. Martin Walton, Upper Kedron (Qld) With backing from the US, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues a devastating assault on Gaza. Now US President Donald Trump, frustrated by the lack of progress in talks with Iran, has turned to Netanyahu as a proxy, unleashing strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. These attacks have killed a number of Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders. Iran obviously had no option but to strike back. This is a dangerous escalation with far-reaching consequences. If regional powers join in, the conflict could quickly morph into a broader and uncontrollable crisis in the Middle East and beyond. For the sake of the world, let us hope sane decisions will prevail to de-escalate this dangerous situation. Bipin Johri, Epping Israel's excuse for attacking Iran is a bit rich. It has told the world that Iran is ready to launch nuclear warheads, despite the US director of national intelligence telling the Senate in March 2025 that the US intelligence community had assessed that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapons program. This has all the hallmarks of George W. Bush's weapons of mass destruction lie, which started the Iraqi war in 2003. Western nations, including Australia, should demand Israel stops attacking countries on rumours and innuendo and start providing verifiable evidence. It seems to me that Iran has every right to demand nuclear weapons to stop Israel attacking it with no evidence. John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA) We are assured that our embassy staff in Tel Aviv and Tehran are safe, or as safe as can be with rockets raining down. Which begs the question of why they are there at all. Why are our diplomats put at risk in Iran, a known supporter of terrorists, and Israel, which is currently committing atrocities against Palestinian civilians? Their withdrawal would send a strong message of Australian dissent. Stephanie Edwards, Leichhardt Here we go again: the world's ego-tripping military, political and religious leaders are getting their jollies around the war tables by sending more death and destruction to the citizens of this planet. Isn't it time they paid a high price for their insane prejudices, dogmas and actions? We have to find a way to neutralise these rogues before their murderous agendas are played out. Dave Watts, Avalon Why does Israel not allow any international news agencies into Gaza? That's a clear sign that they're breaking international laws. Vera Yee, Waverton Fighting words Perhaps the most significant sentence in all the thousands that have been written about AUKUS and our foreign policy agenda is contained in Peter Hartcher's piece (' To defend itself, Australia mustn't kowtow to its rivals. Or its allies ', June 14) – 'with or without AUKUS, Australia's priority should be to prepare itself to stand on its own'. Peter Thomas, Rose Bay Actually, Peter Hartcher (and other dreamers), I'm sure what most Australians want the PM to do in any defence-spending chats is to stop swaggering, as in, 'we'll spend what we see fit on defence, not what another country tells us to spend'. That's all fine and dandy if you're holding the whip hand, but not very smart when you're requesting a guarantee on a possible need for future defence support. When the ally you want at the party spends $997 billion a year on defence, while you're spending about $53 billion, it's best to have your cap somewhere near your hand. It's called a facing reality moment. Rosemary O'Brien, Ashfield Defence procurement by successive governments of Australia has been abysmal (' AUKUS is a disaster for Australia. Trump has given us an out – let's take it ', June 13). Second-hand Abrams tanks, Sea King helicopters, clunking submarines, all of which never fired an angry shot even when at war in Afghanistan. The Hunter-class frigate program is seven years behind schedule and has limited firepower. We now have the ludicrous purchase of second-hand nuclear-powered submarines, which may never eventuate but if they do will probably be superseded by drone technology in the air and sea. If we wish to build our defences quickly, we should look towards Europe and Japan for reliable supply, on time and on budget. Greg Thomas, Annandale Despite our ridicule, perhaps Trump is a master negotiator. His tariffs cause world chaos, and nations flock to appease him. He rattles our cage with a shallow AUKUS review, and we rush to sweeten the deal to support his 'America First' agenda. Peter Hill, East Ballina In an increasingly volatile world, young Australians are urged to choose a career in our armed forces. Wouldn't it be more proactive, and make more sense, to urge a career in our diplomatic corps? John Black, Anna Bay Glover's pick-me-up Richard Glover's column in Spectrum was just what the doctor ordered (' I had a car accident the other day. It couldn't have gone any better ', June 13). I picked up the paper this weekend thinking 'I find it too hard to read the paper now, always bad news about wars.' Then I read Richard's column and it brightened up my day. So thank you, Richard. Roslynne Hunt, Riverview While I am a devout follower of Richard Glover (and Clancy), I must take issue with a few words in Richard's latest column that 'we tend to think crime is getting worse when the opposite is true'. I think, Richard, you might have fallen into one of the holes Clancy has dug in your backyard if you really believe this. While I, too, thankfully have had many of the positive experiences with other people that you have mentioned, crime is most definitely increasing and becoming more violent in our country. We would be foolish to take our eyes off Clancy's ball and believe otherwise (as much as I would like to). Christine Helby, Forbes As each day brings the world closer to going to hell in a handbasket, I find a smile on my face and a renewed pleasure in life on reading Richard Glover's column, and Saturday's was no exception. Thank you, Richard, and please keep writing. Kathryn Lai, Heathcote Old gold Listen up ABC, you belong to the older generation. Forget trying to entice the really young ones; they have plenty to choose from on the internet. You don't do funny well, so forget trying to amuse us with spelling bees and silly game shows. We like your newsreaders, sensible commentary, 7.30 and the National Press Club coverage. We love the restoration shows, wildlife and Landline. We like old-fashioned sitcoms. The Piano was lovely, so well done. How about the odd symphony concert or some fabulous jazz? Oh, to have another Michael Parkinson. Please find one. We like to feel some things stay the same when the world is on fire and crashing about our ears. Stay with what you do well. You must know it keeps us sane. Jill Power, Narrabeen Nice work Riches abound as a contractor for government bodies (' Manning tells ICAC he ought to have disclosed friendship', June 14). One contractor was paid $1920 a day just to review the school building procurement policy. Poor old PM Albo only gets $1608 a day. Rather than focus on individuals, a review of the hiring policy for contractors would serve us better. It seems the frequent calls by governments to cut back-room public service jobs was unwise. Who'd have thought? Paul Doyle, Glenbrook Funny money The cartoon with Millie Muroi's article about 'good debt' and 'bad debt' sums it up best (' Canberra can print more money – so, why can't it keep borrowing? ', June 14). If government buys current account items, they must be paid for through taxation – that's good fiscal policy. It's also good fiscal policy to borrow funds to spend on useful things, such as essential infrastructure and durable assets. This century, Commonwealth net debt has burgeoned from zero to a rather gigantic sum, and regrettably there's not much to show for it. Borrowing by printing money is a banana republic approach that relies on inflation to bring debt ratios under control. Already the government benefits from our wishy-washy 2 to 3 per cent a year target for inflation. The Swiss reckon they can keep it no higher than 1 per cent a year. Mike Bush, Port Macquarie Oceans of hope Thank you, Caitlin Fitzsimmons (' The simple fixes that have saved the lives of sea lions and turtles', 14 June) for drawing attention to David Attenborough's documentary Ocean, arguably his most powerful production in his nearly 100 years on earth, in terms of the triumph of hope over despair at the destructive power of us humans. It is to be hoped Environment Minister Murray Watt, who attended the UN Oceans Conference in Paris last week, had viewed the never-before-seen footage of bottom-trawling techniques, which surely would have given him impetus to legislate for more sustainable seafood-harvesting globally and stem the terrible tide of industrial fishing. Undoubtedly, Attenborough himself would agree with Fitzsimmons – simple fixes can save marine life. Joy Nason, Mona Vale True childcare reform It's encouraging to see debate about how we improve access to early childhood education and care (' I'm a working mum. Here's why I oppose Labor's universal childcare', June 13) . But let's be clear, the Productivity Commission's report did not model the most compelling version of universal reform being proposed. It didn't consider what would happen if quality early learning was made free for low-income families, with a fixed daily fee for everyone else – a model backed by economists and educators. That omission underestimates the equity and economic benefits of reform. The commission also failed to account for the productivity gains of creating access where early education simply doesn't exist. One in four Australians lives in a childcare desert. For these families, there is no choice to make – care isn't available, no matter their budget or work preferences. Universal early learning means families that need it can depend on it being there. That reliability is a critical piece of our economic and social infrastructure. When early education costs more than $150 a day, the idea of 'choice' is a mirage for many families. Denying mothers the opportunity of paid work denies them the chance to build economic security, independence and stability. A fair, universal model would unlock genuine choices and deliver benefits for children, families and the broader economy. Georgie Dent, CEO, The Parenthood
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- The Guardian
Tane's son still asks his grandmother: ‘How did my dad die?' She doesn't know what to say
Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains images and names of Indigenous Australians who have died. This story contains descriptions of self-harm and some readers might find it distressing. In a small rural cemetery in Armidale, a young boy sits by a grave, gazing up at a portrait embedded in the black marble headstone. The boy is quiet. He's taking in the face of the young man before him. Tane Chatfield, the inscription reads. A loving father. A beloved son. When the boy gets home, he asks his grandmother, Nioka Chatfield, a question. 'He doesn't say the word die – he calls it 'bombed',' Nioka says. 'So he says, 'Nan, how did my dad get bombed?'' Nioka doesn't know what to say. There's so much to tell. But her grandson is only 11. Tane, a proud Gamilaraay, Gumbaynggirr and Wakka Wakka man, died by hanging in Tamworth correctional centre in 2017. He had been on remand for two years, awaiting trial, and was innocent in the eyes of the law. When Tane entered custody he was clearly identifiable as a prisoner at risk. Yet he was provided no sustained psychological support or drug and alcohol treatment. He was also placed into a cell that had an obvious hanging point. A coroner later described that point as a 'lethal method immediately and obviously available' to Tane. It should not have been there. More than 30 years ago, like all state governments, New South Wales agreed to remove hanging points from its jails in response to the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. When asked by the coroner to explain the failure, a senior NSW corrections officer blamed the jail's 'heritage' listing, saying this restricted physical changes to the building. She claimed that the complex had been built in the 1700s – before European settlement of the area. Guardian Australia has spent months investigating hanging deaths like Tane's in every state and territory. The investigation has revealed a staggering death toll linked to inaction on known hanging points. Across 19 prisons, at least 57 hangings occurred using ligature points that were known to authorities but not removed. In one case the same point was used in 10 hanging deaths, despite repeated, early warnings that it be immediately removed. Guardian Australia has spent five months investigating the deadly toll of Australia's inaction to remove hanging points from its jails, a key recommendation of the 1991 royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. The main finding – that 57 inmates died using known ligature points that had not been removed – was made possible by an exhaustive examination of coronial records relating to 248 hanging deaths spanning more than 20 years. Reporters combed through large volumes of coronial records looking for instances where a hanging point had been used repeatedly in the same jail. They counted any death that occurred after prison authorities were made aware of that particular hanging point. Warnings were made via a prior suicide or suicide attempt, advice from their own staff or recommendations from coroners and other independent bodies. Guardian Australia also logged how many of the 57 inmates were deemed at risk of self-harm or had attempted suicide before they were sent into cells with known hanging points. In adherence with best practice in reporting on this topic, Guardian Australia has avoided detailed descriptions of suicide. In some instances, so that the full ramifications of coronial recommendations can be understood, we have made the decision to identify types and locations of ligature points. We have done this only in instances where we feel the public interest in this information being available to readers is high. Official data shows the rate of Aboriginal hanging deaths is at a 17-year high. Seven Indigenous Australians hanged themselves in prison in 2023-24, according to the latest data available, a record not seen since 2000-01. It correlates with Australia's surging prisoner population. Indigenous Australians remain vastly overrepresented in prison populations and hundreds have died in custody – 101 of those by hanging – since the 1991 royal commission. Australia's longest serving Indigenous affairs minister, Robert Tickner, who presented the royal commission's report to federal parliament and helped secure agreement to its recommendations, is outraged. 'There can be no excuses for the failure to act,' he says. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'We must not as a nation take our focus off the core recommendation of the royal commission, which was reducing the numbers of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system. 'I've just come from a parliamentary committee in NSW and they've asked me, have things changed in all those years? And, very sadly, in this space, no. The numbers are still truly shocking.' The coroner who investigated Tane's death, Harriet Grahame, said authorities had failed to tackle the 'grossly disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous people' in the three decades since the royal commission. Governments, she said, had also failed to address the underlying factors driving overrepresentation, including glaring disadvantages across economic, health, housing and education spheres. 'Tane's death must be understood in its context of real social injustice, ongoing dispossession and his lived experience of inter-generational trauma,' she said. The failures did not stop after Tane's death. In 2020 the NSW coroner told the state government to audit Tamworth prison for obvious hanging points and to have them removed. The audit was conducted in October 2020. The government reported back that it 'did not identify any obvious cell hanging points'. Guardian Australia can reveal that, within 12 months of that audit, the inspector of custodial services visited the prison and found multiple hanging points, including some that were said to have been removed. Though some were removed after Tane's death, the report said: 'The most significant concern, however, at the time of the inspection was the multiple hanging points we observed in the cells.' Nioka says: 'When they said to us that they were going to deal with the hanging points … You think, 'OK, so no other family's going to go through this.' 'It's like they just pick your hopes up and they just shatter you.' When the inspector conducted a follow-up visit in 2024, the ligature points had been removed. A spokesperson for Corrective Services NSW said the government was 'committed to reducing all preventable deaths in custody' and had already removed hanging points from 800 cells across the state. An additional 145 cells were expected to be completed by July 2025. The government had invested $16m in ligature point removal, the spokesperson said, which would 'continue the extensive work that has already been undertaken across several facilities' to remove unsafe furniture and infrastructure. Growing up, Tane's siblings called him 'golden child'. Family meant everything to him. He rarely left his mother's side. 'He was a type of person that would make sure everyone had a bed, everybody had a feed,' Nioka says. 'He'd take his shirt off his back and give it to anybody.' Tane had big plans for his life. An immensely talented footballer, he set his sights on going pro. He was being watched by scouts, Nioka says, and had made representative rugby league sides. His cousin, Bevan French, went on to play in the NRL. But, at the age of 15, Tane suffered a serious injury during a game of touch. 'It just sent him into a deep depression,' Nioka says. 'He stopped playing sports with his siblings and he just thought, 'If I can't do what I'm good at, what can I do?'' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Tane's first stint in custody changed him. 'He come home, he said, 'Mum, it's like, all the boys in there treat you like a family,'' Nioka says. 'So he got that sense of having another family.' 'And he thought, 'Well, is this where I fit in now? Because I can't fit in anywhere with my other brothers that I had on the football field or the cricket field.'' Tane entered custody in 2015. He was held on remand from October that year until his death, and was moved to Tamworth prison in August 2017 so he could be closer to his Armidale trial. On 19 September, a day before he was discovered hanging in his cell, his family saw him in court. Nioka remembers he put two fists up in the air, as if he was going to fight. Then they were told to make an 'emergency' visit to see him in hospital. Nioka found her son in intensive care, naked except for a pair of hospital socks. 'I was really shocked and stunned the way that nobody told us that we were going to find him like that,' she says. 'And it just, it wasn't making sense.' Tane died two days later. His funeral was a sight to behold, Nioka says. 'That beautiful boy, he just made friends everywhere he went,' she says. 'The funeral director rang me two weeks after his funeral and said, 'Nioka, I just want to let you know that in the last 30 years Tane's had the biggest [funeral] … how can your son be 22 and over 3,000 people turn up?'' At the inquest into Tane's death, a senior NSW corrections officer offered up an explanation as to why it was so difficult to remove hanging points from the jail. 'Tamworth CC is a very old facility, heritage listed built in the 1700s [sic] and there are limitations to what you can do with changing infrastructure,' she said. The explanation did not impress. Grahame, the deputy state coroner, described it as 'unacceptable'. 'The limitation of lethal means is one of the most reliable methods of reducing suicide,' she said. 'Coroners have been recommending the removal of hanging points for many years. The issue must be taken seriously. 'Thirty years on from the [royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody] it is unacceptable to suggest it would be expensive or difficult to achieve the elimination of hanging points in a 'heritage listed' facility.' Nioka describes the coronial system as the 'monster's loophole'. It investigates serious failures in the corrections system, she says, but can do no more than make non-binding recommendations to address them. She wants an independent body set up to investigate Aboriginal deaths in custody, armed with greater powers to compel change. 'I believe the number would dramatically start lowering … because then someone has to be answerable.' In Western Australia, the family of Ricky-Lee Cound is experiencing similar loss and frustration. Their son, a Noongar man, died in 2022 aged just 22, while in custody at Hakea prison – a facility with a 'parlous' lack of ligature-minimised cells, according to the coroner. The family said: 'The fact that prison cells aren't properly ligature-minimised is a clear indication that the authorities are neglecting their responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals. 'This isn't just a statistic – it's our boy Ricky's life. And the truth is, nothing will bring him back. But we can't let this happen to others.' Dr Hannah McGlade, a Kurin Minang Noongar woman and law academic at Curtin University, describes the continuing deaths of Aboriginal people in custody as a 'severe human rights violation'. '[Removing hanging points is] a very straightforward matter and yet it simply hasn't happened and many lives, largely Indigenous, have been lost as a result,' she says. 'Aboriginal deaths in custody are a national and international shame and blight on Australia.' Megan Krakouer, the director of the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project, says governments have been guilty of 'wilful blindness' on issues including hanging points since the 1991 royal commission. 'That particular Royal Commission, that was really quite powerful,' she says. 'And it's been diminished in every single way because there's no political will.' The independent senator Lidia Thorpe, who is a Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman, criticises the lack of action on hanging points by the major parties. 'I can't help [but] think that this is part of the ongoing erasure of my people, particularly because we are the most incarcerated,' she says. 'It is the ongoing sophistication of the genocide.' The WA Department of Justice said it had undertaken a comprehensive hanging point removal program since 2005. A spokesperson said priority had been given to 'facilities with the highest risk and need' and the state was also expanding services for those with complex mental health issues, including by building dedicated therapeutic accommodation and employing specialist mental health staff. Tane's son sometimes asks to hear his father's voice. Nioka plays him recordings of prison phone conversations, taking great care in what she lets him hear. She's in no doubt about the reasons behind the gross inaction on hanging points. '[Aboriginal prisoners] are marked as criminals,' she says. 'But they're still human beings, at the end of the day. 'They're somebody's son, they're somebody's daughter.' Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at
The Guardian
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
NSW floods: personal hardship grants on the way as disaster assistance expanded
NSW premier Chris Minns has announced that personal hardship grants of $180 per individual or $900 per family be available soon to help those affected by the severe floods in the state. Anthony Albanese also announced that disaster assistance measures, which had previously been activated for 16 local government areas, have now been extended to three more: Armidale, Muswellbrook and Walcha.
