Uluru | Jotup

New commissioner will focus on vexed issue of Indigenous children in out-of-home care

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Human voice, Heart, Government, Hope, Uluru, Stolen, Police commissioner, PM, First Nations, Aborigine, Commissioner

A national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children will be established by the Albanese government, an initiative long sought by Indigenous advocates.

Key Points:

A national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children will be established by the Albanese government, an initiative long sought by Indigenous advocates.
The commissioner will especially focus on the vexed issue of the high proportion of children in out-of-home care.
Indigenous children are almost 11 times more likely to be in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.
The Commissioner will address the unacceptable rates of out-of-home care.

50 years after Evonne Goolagong's Australian Open win, we should remember her achievements – and the racism she overcame

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Fifty years ago, on New Year’s Day in 1974, Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong delighted spectators at Melbourne’s Kooyong Tennis Club by defeating American Chris Evert to win the women’s singles Australian Open championship.

Key Points:

Fifty years ago, on New Year’s Day in 1974, Wiradjuri woman Evonne Goolagong delighted spectators at Melbourne’s Kooyong Tennis Club by defeating American Chris Evert to win the women’s singles Australian Open championship.
The overflow crowd of 12,000 people leapt to their feet for a tremendously long and emotional ovation.
The Sydney Morning Herald reminded readers that no Aboriginal person had ever won an Australian tennis title.

From stamps to theatre productions

Yorta Yorta/Gunaikurnai playwright Andrea James brought Goolagong Cawley’s life story to the stage several years ago and Australia Post has honoured her twice with her own stamps.
She has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.
Read more:
Sydney Festival review: Sunshine Super Girl is destined to become a legacy piece of Australian theatre

Contending with racism

Evonne Goolagong was born in 1951, which was a fraught period for First Nations people in this country. On the day she was born (July 31), a quick glance of the national media reflects the widespread racism, discrimination, ignorance and suspicion that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people faced. There were stories about:
protests in a NSW town over the decision to give “liquor freedom” to Aboriginal people
misgivings about the ability of Aboriginal people to accept Christianity
assertions that Aboriginal people didn’t actually live in North Queensland
a requirement for half-caste (sic) people in the Northern Territory to carry certificates of exemption
and an actress’s black-face make-up tips.

In an interview in 2015, she recalled her mother being worried the “welfare man” might steal her children.
In a biography in 1993, she also said her father feared that “whatever he tried to accomplish, the white man would take away”.
First Nations people had been granted the right to vote in all states and territories, though full equality wasn’t reached until enrolment was compulsory in 1984.
But what it can tell us about 2023 is complicated
Yet, terrible racism remained.

Gary Osmond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

The Voice campaign showed Labor's strategy for countering right-wing populism is in disarray

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Albanese had partly won the election by pledging to bring Australians together to build a better, more equal Australia.

Key Points:

Albanese had partly won the election by pledging to bring Australians together to build a better, more equal Australia.
However, the Voice outcome has revealed Labor’s strategy for sidestepping right-wing populism to be in disarray.
You have the same rights and opportunities – the same democratic voice – as every other Australian.
You have the same rights and opportunities – the same democratic voice – as every other Australian.

A misguided sense of ‘equality’

It was also a conception of equality that has long been used by the Coalition when dealing with Indigenous affairs.
Peter Dutton may have been somewhat Trumpian in his suggestions that the Australian electoral commission couldn’t be trusted to be impartial.
Read more:
What are 'Advance' and 'Fair Australia', and why are they spearheading the 'no' campaign on the Voice?
Given these comparable strategies, it may not be surprising that the Voice referendum results show similarities with the 1999 republic referendum results.

Albanese’s ‘new politics’ is in fact very old

Albanese may have believed his election victory represented a “new politics”, but in fact his government, and the broader “yes” case, have been fighting a very old politics over the Voice.
The Voice referendum lost for diverse reasons, including the lack of bipartisan support and a successful fear campaign that sometimes mobilised quite horrible racism.
The fact that the official “no” campaign was headed by two Indigenous Australians, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Warren Mundine, was particularly important in this context.
Perhaps Labor was lulled into a false sense of security by the marriage equality plebiscite outcome.

What kind of Australia will we wake up to if the Voice referendum is defeated on October 14?

Retrieved on:

Sunday, October 1, 2023

If the opinion polls are to be believed, history is repeating itself with the impending Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice referendum.

Key Points:

If the opinion polls are to be believed, history is repeating itself with the impending Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice referendum.
Since the middle of the year, those polls have been relentlessly moving in the wrong direction for the “yes” case.
On the current trajectory, the Voice will secure less than 40% of the national vote and also fail to win the support of a majority of states.
Its advocates point, for example, to the relatively high number of undecided voters, hoping they break heavily in their favour.
Yet a prudent government would now be wargaming what to do in the scenario that the Voice is defeated on October 14.
The defeat of the Voice referendum may set back other elements of Labor’s vision for the nation.
But it is the Australia we will wake up to the morning after October 14, if indeed the referendum goes down.

From badges to ball gowns: how fashion took centre-stage in the 1967 and 2023 referendums

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

A South Sea Islander/Scottish Indian woman, Bandler played a lead role in the 1967 referendum campaign.

Key Points:

A South Sea Islander/Scottish Indian woman, Bandler played a lead role in the 1967 referendum campaign.
She described wearing white day gloves when campaigning and speaking to non-Indigenous audiences:
I used to wear short white gloves.
They were acceptable to the white community I came in contact with when I was campaigning for black women’s rights.
It is a far cry from the overt – and often casual – ways fashion is being used in the 2023 referendum campaign.

Subtle style

First Nations women, and particularly older women were often the voice of the 1967 referendum, and appearances were important.
Older women wore their Sunday best: dresses with hats, skirts with jacket sets or casual pencil skirts with dressy turtlenecks, and small and subtle jewellery.

The iconic badges

Jackie Huggins (Bidjara and Birri Gubba Juru) remembers, as an 11-year-old, handing out badges to promote the campaign.
In the late 1800s, some First Nations people wore temperance badges as a pledge of abstinence from alcohol.
Returned & Services League and Mothers Mourners badges were significant for First Nations people who served or lost family members in war.
Other badges worn by the 1960s First Nations rights groups featured boomerang shapes and circular Aboriginal rights designs.

Referendum fashion today

Fashion is again playing a role in the 2023 referendum.
Today, clothes are brighter and more casual.
First Nations designers and artists have shaped textiles and fashion over the decades.
The fashions of the 2023 referendum are very different from 1967.

How hate speech during the Voice campaign can harm personal wellbeing, as well as democracy

Retrieved on:

Monday, September 4, 2023

Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Australia will vote in the Voice referendum on October 14.

Key Points:

Last week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Australia will vote in the Voice referendum on October 14.
Read more:
How we can avoid political misinformation in the lead-up to the Voice referendum

Misinformation has multiplied

The surfacing of Donald Trump-style conspiracies has severed the link between political claims and established standards of truth.
We’ve heard claims such as the Voice would somehow lead to reparations for Aboriginal people or a new “Black State”.
It has also been argued Australia Day will be abolished and the courts would be overwhelmed with claims from the Voice.

Hate speech can cause physical and psychological harm

Hate speech causes harm at a social level, as it can worsen and even promote intolerance, divisiveness and hostility towards its targets.
It hinders public discussion by using polarising and exaggerated claims, disrupting any chance of civil discussion.
At the individual level, evidence shows hate speech can also cause physical and psychological injury, including increased risk of stress-related illnesses.
Hate speech can cause fear and anxiety, leading to social exclusion and isolation.

But it’s not too late to change course

And exaggerated claims calculated only to provoke discord should be named as such by existing fact-checking processes.
The authors of this article have developed a compendium of key resources that avoid ideological distortions and political grandstanding.
It is available free of charge to all Australians to help them make up their minds about how to vote.

View from The Hill: Australians go into the referendum divided – can the country emerge united?

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

The latest polling has put the “no” side ahead, after a slide over the months in the initial substantial support for the constitutional amendment.

Key Points:

The latest polling has put the “no” side ahead, after a slide over the months in the initial substantial support for the constitutional amendment.
Only eight of 44 referendum questions have been carried since federation.
Many voters haven’t yet tuned in; this is unsurprising, especially when the cost of living is dominating so many people’s attention.
The strength of support from younger voters, a lot of them still unengaged, will be a crucial factor in the outcome.
Bishop, who is now Chancellor of the Australian National University, warned: “Australia’s international reputation can be affected by a ‘no’ vote.
The referendum campaign will, unfortunately but inevitably, sharply divide the country.

The Voice to Parliament explained

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Now we finally have a date for the Voice to Parliament referendum, it’s a good time to return to the terrific work our academic experts have done to explain the Voice to Parliament – as well as debunking some of the misinformation and disinformation we’ve seen so far.

Key Points:

Now we finally have a date for the Voice to Parliament referendum, it’s a good time to return to the terrific work our academic experts have done to explain the Voice to Parliament – as well as debunking some of the misinformation and disinformation we’ve seen so far.
Many of the questions we have addressed came from readers who took part in our Voice reader survey last year.
The Australian constitution and the 220-plus page report of the co-design proposed Voice are not very accessible for those of us who don’t speak fluent policy.

Helpful general information:

Pre-eminent constitutional scholar Anne Twomey reminds us of the referendum basics – what will it say on the ballot paper?
But what may have been forgotten is how we got here in the first place – and why it matters.
And is there a risk that proposals that are too detailed, or too vague, can end up being rejected by voters?
This article explores how factors such as race, religion, and experience with racial interactions may inform how these demographics could vote.

Constitutional and legal explainers

A constitutional law expert explains Legislation is an unsatisfactory way to institute a Voice to Parliament because, among other reasons, it would make the body insecure and vulnerable to the whims of different governments.
With 11 Indigenous politicians in parliament, why does Australia need the Voice?
Why is it legal to tell lies during the Voice referendum campaign?
Solicitor-general confirms Voice model is legally sound, will not ‘fetter or impede’ parliament Australia’s solicitor-general Stephen Donaghue provided the federal government with legal advice on the Voice to Parliament.

First Nations perspectives

Kelly Menzel explores the cultural and historical complexities behind many First Nations peoples’ apprehension or uncertainty around the proposed Voice.
Failure to incorporate Indigenous perspectives has contributed to decades of misinformed, ineffective policy such as the Northern Territory Intervention.
Why a First Nations Voice should come before Treaty A leading argument against the Voice to Parliament is that Treaty should come first.
Non-Indigenous Australians must listen to the difficult historical truths told by First Nations people In the Uluru Statement, alongside “Treaty” and “Voice”, there is also a call for “Truth”.

Voice, Treaty, Truth explainers

Since the Uluru statement was declared in 2017 we have heard calls from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders for “Voice, Treaty and Truth”.
Our experts explained each stage of this process.
The Voice: what is it, where did it come from, and what can it achieve?

How did we get here?

A divided Australia will soon vote on the most significant referendum on Indigenous rights in 50 years

Retrieved on:

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Today, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an October 14 date for a national referendum on whether to amend the Constitution to establish a new advisory body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Key Points:

Today, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced an October 14 date for a national referendum on whether to amend the Constitution to establish a new advisory body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Voice to Parliament has been toted as a vital step toward redressing Australia’s painful history of discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This is why a referendum is needed – and why this particular one has been so fiercely debated for years.

Decades of efforts toward equality

Only eight out of 44 previous referendums have passed in the country’s history.
The last time Australia voted on a referendum dealing with Indigenous affairs was in 1967.
But what it can tell us about 2023 is complicated
The referendum passed by a huge margin.
This act prohibits discrimination in employment, housing and access to public facilities, such as swimming pools, cinemas and shops.

The “yes” and “no” campaigns

The “yes” campaign has declared it’s time for change, emphasising how governments have consistently failed First Nations communities across the country.
They say better policy decisions result from local communities being heard on matters that affect them.
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe, a DjabWurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman, has argued the Voice is a powerless advisory body.

The significance of the vote

Internationally, other countries have attempted to create improved political participation and government accountability for Indigenous peoples.
In New Zealand, for example, there is designated Māori representation in the parliament.
In Canada, First Nations people have both “first-contact” treaties that were negotiated upon European arrival, as well as modern treaties.

Can I take my child out of school to go on a holiday?

Retrieved on:

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

As the school term stretches on, many parents might be tempted to take their children out of school. Perhaps they want to beat the crowds at the snow or enjoy off-season prices at the coast. Maybe they just need a break. As parents, we have certainly experienced this dilemma. But what are the rules around taking your child out of school in term time? And is it a good idea? You do need to send your child to schoolBut by law you are required to send your child to school every day.

Key Points:

As the school term stretches on, many parents might be tempted to take their children out of school. Perhaps they want to beat the crowds at the snow or enjoy off-season prices at the coast. Maybe they just need a break. As parents, we have certainly experienced this dilemma. But what are the rules around taking your child out of school in term time? And is it a good idea?

You do need to send your child to school

But by law you are required to send your child to school every day.
all students who are enrolled at school, regardless of their age, are expected to attend that school whenever instruction is provided.
The act also says parents are responsible for ensuring their children attend school and must explain absences within seven days.
It’s an offence not to send your child to school and parents can be prosecuted.

Why a trip can be a good idea

Education psychologists Jerome Bruner and Jean Piaget developed “discovery learning”, believing it is best for learners to discover facts and relationships for themselves.
School excursions are an example of experiential learning, and depending on what trip you’re planning, you might be able to provide your child with invaluable experiences.
They know how to ask the right questions, guide, support, and make connections between real-world and theoretical learning.

Potential negatives

It’s also important to be aware of potential negatives when planning to take your child out of school in term time.
There is a wide body of research on the relationship between school attendance and academic achievement, with some studies suggesting school attendance is the best predictor of academic achievement.
In some instances, taking your child out of school could exacerbate any school refusal tendencies when they return to school.

But is a cheeky long weekend OK?

There is no clear answer around taking your child out of school during term time.
It will of course depend on what you are planning to do and for how long.
If children are missing school frequently or for long periods, there is likely to be an impact on your child’s learning.