Category Archives: Australian politics

How Canberra keeps the NT’s “rivers of grog” flowing

November 3, 2009 – 10:54 am

in ordinary circumstances under the previous regime, Ms Nudjulu would have been a prime candidate for a custodial sentence. She had previous convictions for possession of alcohol contrary to the Liquor Act – and was currently subject to a suspended sentence.

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Crime, NT Police, Northern Territory politics, The Law, The NT Intervention | Tagged "prescribed areas", "restricted areas", Fairfax Press, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, John Howard, Liquor Act NT, Living Black, Mal Brough, Marie Nudjulu, Northern Territory National Emergency Response Bill 2007, NT Licensing Minister Kon Vatskalis, NT News, NT Police Association, NTNER Act, Police Federation of Australia, SBS, Stipendiary Magistrate Melanie Little, Vince Kelly, Wadeye | Comments (4)

Meet Kevin Rudd’s “scum of the earth” – 5 years in Berrimah for $560

October 30, 2009 – 7:15 pm

In any other circumstances Beny and Tahir would be prime candidates for the exercise of long-standing judicial discretions and the application of the ordinary judicial Sentencing Principles that provide clarity and transparency in sentencing.

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Crime, The Law | Tagged Ashmore and Cartier Islands, Ashmore Reef, Banyuwangi, Beny, Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation, Con Sciacca, East Java, HMAS Albany, java, Justice Dean Mildren, Kevin Rudd, Lombok, Migration Act 1958, Mohamed Tahir, Muncar, Peter Slipper, Pinkenba, Sentencing Remarks, SIEV 36, South Sulawesi, The Queen v Mohamad Tahir and Beny | Comments (4)

Australia’s shame Part 2: Tiwi Forestry – 30,000 hectares of “bankrupt monoculture”

October 28, 2009 – 8:20 am

Senator IAN MACDONALD—What is your concern about the Tiwi Islands, from the Tiwi Islanders’ point of view? Dr Ajani—I think they have a product which is not well placed in the play that is going to unfold over the next few years as our hardwood plantation resource comes onto the market.

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Indigenous land management, Northern Territory politics, Northern development, The Northern Myth | Tagged Acacia mangium, Agricultural Development and Marketing Authority, Agricultural Development Corporation, Alan Chase, Communications and the Arts Committee, Department of Infrastructure, Douglas Daly research farms, Dr Ajani Judith, Dr Bruce R. Davidson, E.J. Hosking, Great Southern Group, Great Southern Plantations, Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, Humpty Doo, Humpty Doo rice project, John McDouall Stuart, Land Clearing in the Northern Territory, Liberal Senator for South Australia, Liberal Senator Ian McDonald, Litchfield Shire Council, McGrathNicol, Minister Harold Holt, New York Times, NT Environment Centre, NT Labor Senator Trish Crossin, Planning and Environment, Senate Environment, Simon Birmingham, Territory Rice, The Northern Myth, Tipperary Land Corporation, Tipperary station, Tiwi Forestry, Tiwi Land Council, Verlyn Klinkenborg, Willeroo Station | Comments (10)

NT Police to be charged with murder…of the English language

October 24, 2009 – 5:23 pm

“spastic c**t”; “stupid f**king idiot”; “god, he f**king stinks”; “shut your face.”; “dumb f**k”; “f**king loser”; “d**khead over there”; “… no brain”; “f**king retard”; “piece of s**t that he is”; “you f**king wanker”; shut the f**k up”

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Crime, NT Police, Northern Territory politics, Stupidity, The Law | Tagged Bruce Wernham, Carolyn Richards, Glen Dooley, NAAJA, North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, Northern Territory's Acting Police Commissioner, NT Ombudsman, NT Police, NT Police Statement of Ethics, The ABC | Comments (7)

Helen Hughes and the death of fun at school

October 20, 2009 – 12:03 pm

Last Friday Helen and Mark Hughes put their names to an opinion piece in The Australian entitled Authorities must not wag school.

In short the arguments that the Hughes’ make are that Federal, State and Territory governments abandon their responsibilities to students – particularly remote Aboriginal students – by the stealthy foreshortening of school terms and [...]

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Art, NT local government, Northern Territory politics, Some places I've been, Stupidity, Writing and writers | Tagged ABC News, Andrew Bolt, Anglicare NT, Ann Buxton, Australian Education Union, central desert shire, Community Festivals for Education Engagement, Garma Festival, Garma Miwatj Youth Forum, Gulkula, Helen Hughes, Homeland Learning Centres, Marion Scrymgour, Mark Hughes, Nadine Williams, National Indigenous Times, Norbert Patrick, NT Education Department, Rowan Foley, Senate Select Committee on Regional and Remote Indigenous Communities, The Australian, Ti-Tree, Yirrkala, Yothu Yindi Foundation | Comments (8)

Mandawuy Yunupingu – Australian Story, Monday 19 October

October 18, 2009 – 10:00 am

From the dim recesses of memory I recall that Mandawuy turned up one night while we were on tour in Sydney with an old battered guitar, a swag of great songs and a keen desire to get them heard by as many people as possible.

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Aboriginal & Islander Art, Music, The Arts | Tagged Australian Story, Balanda, Gove Peninsula, Gunatj, Jimmy Little, Mandawuy Yunupingu, Methodist Missionary Society, Natasha Robinson, Paul Kelly, Rirratjingu, Swamp Jockeys, The Australian, Treaty, Yirrkala | Comments (4)

The Weekend Australian, Nicolas Rothwell, and the art of fantastic journalism

October 5, 2009 – 10:58 am

What Rothwell is of course talking about here is localised Aboriginal self-determination, an aspiration that he has frequently condemned to the dustbin of Australian political history: “For some time it has been clear Aboriginal self-determination has had its day.”

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in NT local government, Northern Territory politics, Northern development, Some places I've been, The Law, The NT Intervention, The Northern Myth, Writing and writers | Tagged Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin, Indigenous Heritage Program, John Berto, Nicolas Rothwell, Northern Land Council, NT Indigenous Policy Minister Alison Anderson, Thamarrurr Association, Thamarrurr Development Corporation, Thamarrurr Regional Counci, The ABC, The Australian, the Rudd Government, The Weekend Australian, Victoria Daly Shire Council, Wadeye, Warren Snowdon | Comments (11)

Hell road of the year – the Tanami Track

October 1, 2009 – 2:36 pm

The Shire of Halls Creek is particularly impecunious; it has a very small rating base and few other revenue opportunities…it is responsible for a very large road network that it does not have adequate resources to maintain at an appropriate level…[t]he poor state of the Tanami Road is a serious impediment to providing services of all kinds.

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Northern development, The Arts, the Tanami Track | Tagged central desert shire, Geoff Vivian, Kimberley Page, Lajamanu, Rabbit Flat, the Coyote mine, The Granites, The Tanami Mine, the Tanami Track, Tilmouth Well, Warlayirti Artists, Yuendumu | Comments (1)

From Ampilatwatja to Warren Mundine: focus on the big picture!

September 3, 2009 – 10:36 am

Late last week Warren Mundine, billed as an “Aboriginal leader”, gave Samantha Hawley of the ABC Radio’s PM program his views of the report by UN’s Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Human Rights, Professor James Anaya and his findings that give a damning assessment of the Federal Government’s Intervention in the Northern Territory.
Mundine didn’t hold back [...]

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Northern Territory politics, The NT Intervention | Tagged ABC radio, Alyawarra, Ampilatwatja, Professor James Anaya, Richard Downs, Samantha Hawley, UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Human Rights, Warren Mundine | Comments (5)

The Ampilatwatja Walkoff and the “wake-up call” for Alison Anderson – an interview with Richard Downs

August 31, 2009 – 4:31 pm

Macklin should resign as Minister – she has no results to show us, she doesn’t – or doesn’t know how to – listen or talk to Aboriginal people – she should go, and the sooner the better: Richard Downs, Alyawarra leader

By Bob Gosford | Also posted in Northern Territory politics, The NT Intervention | Tagged Alison Anderson, Alyawarra people, Ampilatwatja, Bess Price, Chair NT Indigenous Advisory Council, Dave Price, Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Green left Weekly, Interventionwalkoff, Jenny Macklin, Richard Downs, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, Warren Mundine | Comments (4)

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Category Archives: Australian politics

How Canberra keeps the NT’s “rivers of grog” flowing

Meet Kevin Rudd’s “scum of the earth” – 5 years in Berrimah for $560

Australia’s shame Part 2: Tiwi Forestry – 30,000 hectares of “bankrupt monoculture”

NT Police to be charged with murder…of the English language

Helen Hughes and the death of fun at school

Mandawuy Yunupingu – Australian Story, Monday 19 October

The Weekend Australian, Nicolas Rothwell, and the art of fantastic journalism

Hell road of the year – the Tanami Track

From Ampilatwatja to Warren Mundine: focus on the big picture!

The Ampilatwatja Walkoff and the “wake-up call” for Alison Anderson – an interview with Richard Downs

About Bob Gosford

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