Lidia Thorpe places ahead movement on ‘shameful’ deaths in custody numbers
Sarah Basford Canales
Impartial senator Lidia Thorpe has put ahead a movement within the Senate this morning, extending sympathies to the households of the 17 First Nations individuals who have died in custody this yr, together with 24-year-old Walpiri man Kumanjayi White who died in May after being restrained by officers at an Alice Springs grocery store.
Labor and the Greens have agreed to go the movement acknowledging White’s demise whereas extending its sympathies to the households of the 602 Indigenous deaths in custody for the reason that launch of the 1991 Royal Fee into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
The movement additionally known as on all parliamentarians to work constructively collectively to deal with the over-incarceration and deaths of First Nations individuals in custody.
Whereas transferring the movement, Thorpe mentioned:
These are usually not simply statistics. They’re sons, daughters, moms, fathers, cousins, siblings, grandchildren – misplaced to a system that continues to hurt our individuals … This movement is about stopping that ache from persevering with. It’s about doing what we will, right here and now, to make sure that Kumanjayi’s demise is not only one other entry in a protracted and shameful listing. It should be a turning level.
Thorpe additionally spoke of the affect on her household after the demise of her cousin, Joshua Kerr, a 32-year-old Yorta Yorta and Gunaikurnai man who died in custody in August 2022.
The movement this morning coincides with the release of the latest Closing the Gap report, which revealed solely 4 of 19 targets had been on monitor to be met by 2031. The 2023-24 data showed the nationwide fee of Indigenous youths in detention had elevated in contrast with the earlier yr.
Key occasions
‘There’s a mountain of labor to do’ to repair childcare: Clare
Clare says once more that this laws is just the beginning of reforms that governments – federal, state and territory – have to do to repair the system.
The affect of the laws, Clare says, ought to be to boost the requirements of centres, to not pressure them shut, at a time when the federal government can be attempting to spice up the variety of kids accessing early childhood schooling.
Clare says there’s already an inventory of suppliers ready, that the federal government may take motion towards – however he received’t but reveal who’s on it.
I received’t increase on that as we speak. I’ll have extra to say on that when the division publishes that listing. First, the invoice must go the parliament, then it must obtain royal assent. However I’ve directed my division to be able to act swiftly. I’ll have extra to say subsequent week.
Hecs minimize ‘promised and delivered’ says schooling minister
The schooling minister, Jason Clare, is talking to the media, after the passing of the federal government’s Hecs invoice by means of the Senate.
We promised it and we’ve delivered.
Younger Australians don’t at all times see one thing for them on the poll paper, however they did this yr.
Clare says the debt aid might be backdated to 1 June this yr, earlier than indexation was utilized.
He additionally says he’s hopeful the childcare laws might be handed within the Senate earlier than query time as we speak.
Right here’s a video of Lidia Thorpe transferring the movement earlier this morning:
Josh Butler
Thorpe urges PM to make use of Garma competition speech to decide to deaths in custody royal fee suggestions
Impartial senator Lidia Thorpe has known as on Anthony Albanese to make use of his speech on the Garma competition to implement the suggestions of the deaths in custody royal fee.
Albanese will journey to the Northern Territory this weekend for the vital Indigenous cultural and group competition. He’ll make a speech on the occasion, which is commonly the place federal leaders decide to new coverage and stances in Indigenous affairs.
Talking after her movement on deaths in custody was handed by the Senate, Thorpe informed a press convention that she hoped Albanese would use Garma to decide to taking extra federal motion on hanging factors and different considerations in prisons.
Nobody’s had oversight of these suggestions for twenty years, for the reason that demise of Atsic. They’ve been sitting there for twenty years. Nobody gave a rattling that deaths in custody was nonetheless taking place, so oversight and motion on implementing the rest of these suggestions, eradicating hanging factors could be nice.
We all know that there’s been hanging factors which have been used 20 instances. The prisons know. The cops know. The governments know, but they permit individuals to proceed to take their lives in identified hanging factors. A suggestion from the royal fee is to take away them, to offer psychological well being providers, to permit communities to self decide their very own options.
So it’d be nice if the prime minister took it critically and never simply rock up [to Garma] to see tradition on show.
Labor’s Hecs debt invoice passes the Senate
The federal government’s Hecs debt invoice has handed parliament, a key promise of the federal election.
The Greens tried to maneuver a number of amendments to the invoice, however the authorities wouldn’t help them.
In the end the invoice handed with out amendments – it’s the primary invoice to go within the new time period – supported by Labor, the Greens, independents together with David Pocock, Tammy Tyrrell and Fatima Payman.
Coalition senators abstained from voting, and three One Nation senators voted towards the invoice.
Lidia Thorpe introducing her movement into the Senate this morning
Thorpe’s movement expressed sympathies to the households of the 17 First Nations individuals who have died in custody this yr, together with 24-year-old Walpiri man Kumanjayi White, and to the households of the 602 Indigenous deaths in custody for the reason that launch of the 1991 royal fee into Aboriginal deaths in custody.
The movement was supported by Labor and the Greens.
Patrick Commins
RBA deputy governor says client value figures ‘very welcome’
The Reserve Financial institution’s deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, says yesterday’s client value figures had been “very welcome”, in an additional sign that the central financial institution has gained some consolation with the trajectory of inflation and that it’ll minimize charges subsequent month.
Inflation dropped to 2.1% within the yr to June, whereas the RBA’s most well-liked underlying measure fell to 2.7% – which Hauser mentioned was consistent with the financial institution’s forecasts.
Nonetheless, Hauser additionally flagged that the central financial institution was in no rush.
Our technique for a while is to set rates of interest to carry inflation again sustainably – that’s an vital phrase – to the midpoint of the 2-3% goal vary, and to try this by means of a coverage that’s gradual, thought of, measured.
Monetary markets are pricing in a fee minimize on 12 August and one other by the November board assembly.
Jim Chalmers on morning TV refused to touch upon probability of a fee minimize subsequent month.
I attempt to not make predictions about choices that the impartial Reserve Financial institution will take about rates of interest, however I’m actually happy that inflation has come down so considerably.
It’s a strong demonstration of the progress that Australians have made collectively within the struggle towards inflation.
Labor votes towards Greens modification to early childhood invoice
The Senate has now moved to the early childhood invoice the federal government has mentioned it desires to be handed this week (ie as we speak).
The Greens are attempting to maneuver an modification to the invoice that might be aware “the necessity for broader reform” to make early childhood schooling common, and calls on the federal government to determine an impartial nationwide Early Childhood Schooling and Care Fee.
Labor votes towards it with a handful of Liberal senators.
They’ll now proceed debating – the minister, Jess Walsh, is at the moment answering questions on the invoice within the chamber – earlier than they vote on the invoice.
Lidia Thorpe’s condolence movement passes in Senate
Lidia Thorpe’s condolence movement extending its sympathies to the households of the 17 First Nations individuals who have died in custody this yr, together with 24-year-old Walpiri man Kumanjayi White, who died in May after being restrained by officers at an Alice Springs grocery store, has handed within the Senate.
Tears as Marion Scrymgour says deaths in custody ‘catastrophic for my communities’
The Labor member for Lingiari, within the Northern Territory, Marion Scrymgour, is tearing up within the chamber, as she additionally speaks on Aboriginal deaths in custody.
She says two of the First Nations individuals who have died in custody this yr have been from the world that she represents.
This subject weighs closely on me. As an Aboriginal particular person from the Northern Territory, these deaths have been catastrophic for my communities. As a mom, as a grandmother, these deaths have weighed closely on my communities.
I hear their requires justice, Speaker.
After Kumanjayi Walker’s tragic passing in Alice Springs throughout Naidoc, I known as for the investigation with minister McCarthy to look into his demise and to have suitably certified and authorised professionals from exterior the Northern Territory police. We didn’t take that call flippantly, we did it due to the systemic racism and the problems between our Northern Territory police and Aboriginal individuals.
