NT local government
Locum nullius: what’s in a name?
August 29, 2017
This is a guest post by Chips Mackinolty, an artist and journalist based in Palermo and Darwin. On 9 August 1974, eight years almost to the day after the famous Wave Hill Walk Off, a group of largely Mangarrayi speaking families walked off Elsey Station. Yes, the place of the colonialist pastoral fantasy of We […]
What future the arts in the Top End?
June 22, 2017 1
The Darwin Festival has failed local visual artists. Spending money on a roving class of interstate creatives and acts is capital that gets drained out of the local culture making economy. There is no substantial quota for local engagement, there is no compulsion that local creatives get engaged and employed. The current festival model fails to connect with and engage the local culture makers. Even the influx of DF production crew in August are like carnies - here for the month then off again to fleece another community with their generic arts festival business model.
Essential documents from Aboriginal Australia: 4 – the 1998 Kalkaringi Statement
June 4, 2017
In addition to Aboriginal resistance, key reasons given for voting ‘No’ at the 1998 referendum included ... inadequate information and understanding about statehood, inadequate consultation, concerns about the Constitutional Convention process, a lack of trust in those responsible for the statehood processes of 1998, and antagonism towards the Chief Minister and politicians.
“Follow the money, bruss!” A short history of electoral funding in the NT
May 23, 2017
I'll be in Darwin next week for the first phase of my research, focussing on documentary research and getting a few interviews. Drop me a line and we can catch up ...
Day 1 – Northern Territory governance summit – Introductory Remarks
February 23, 2017
The political instability, division and in some cases poor ethical behaviour that have been evident especially over the last 4 years but to an extent over the last decade indicate that there is a need for stronger governance safeguards ensuring greater levels of accountability and transparency from our politicians.
The kill-or-be-killed world of NT politics, 2012 to 2016
November 29, 2016 1
Giles’s mood had changed from denial, to anger, to bargaining. He first denied any knowledge of an unfolding coup. Later he raged about the stupidity of it. And in our last conversation, just after midnight, before the phone was hurled from the balcony, he seemed to think there was a way to fight on.
Crocs in the Cabinet: The CLP, politics as farce and farce as politics
November 27, 2016
This book is about the fall of an empire – about the power struggles and missteps and flawed characters that took the CLP from the Northern Territory’s dominant political force to near extinction, from an election win in 2012 to holding just two seats in Parliament four years later: Ben Smee and Christopher Walsh.
The NT electoral system is a joke. But can Hare-Clark fix it?
September 22, 2016 9
Welcome to politics as farce. There is little doubt that the NT electoral system is broken. The bigger question is how we fix it. Discuss.
The CLP got Gunnered …
August 28, 2016
On Saturday night, as gracious as Giles' speech was, so Gunner's was shambolic. "Tonight is extraordinary" he said three times while the baying crowd called for blood and more beer.
Alison Anderson – a political force of nature hangs up her spurs
August 4, 2016
We have to have faith in the future with young people like Chansey [Paech, Labor candidate for Namatjira]. The future is theirs. Our time has to come to an end at some stage at some stage and young people have to take over ... the same with Scotty [McConnell, Labor candidate] in Stuart – they are two very, very tough candidates and they are good human beings and yes, I support both of them. Alison Anderson, 3 August 2016.