Law

Understanding the difference between sovereign treaties under international law, which affirm sovereignty of First Nations, and domestic treaties within the colonial system, which automatically mean First Nations cede sovereignty.

Ghillar, Michael Anderson presents a set of 4 videos to explain the complexities and traps when entering into a Treaty with the Australian government and/or the British Crown. [node:read-more:link]

The Bar Association of NSW's submission to a Law Reform Commission inquiry into First Nations incarceration calls for a new approach to sentencing which takes into account the deprivation and disadvantage inherent in an individual's Aboriginal background. The association also calls for an end to mandatory sentences, which make it impossible for courts to make any allowance for such disadvantage in their decisions. The rate at which Aboriginal people end up in jail is appalling and in NSW last year Aboriginal people were 3 per cent of the population, but 24 per cent of the prison population. [node:read-more:link]

Ghillar, Michael Anderson provides an insight into a viable pathway going forward:
At the Referendum Council's National Convention, the line was drawn in the sand. There are no objections to those who want to be absorbed into our oppressor's society. For us who seek to stand and fight, then we must set our sights on looking at the details of how we develop ourselves as self-determining Nations and Peoples, being guided by international legal norms, whilst living next door to our oppressor. [node:read-more:link]

Video Gallery (with descriptions): The political confrontation that occurred at the National Convention was caused by the very apparent stacking of the meeting by the organisers (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Studies, AIATSIS), no doubt supported by the Referendum Council with a budget of over $800 million.
What was visually clear during the whole process was the apparent divide between members of the Referendum Council. [node:read-more:link]

On his return from Uluru, Ghillar, Michael Anderson details the rigged processes of the Referendum Council's National Convention and the subsequent media: 'I was absolutely shocked and horrified at the disjointed discussion that occurred on ABC TV Q&A last night ( 29 May 2017). In my opinion the conclusions that occurred at the Referendum Council's National Convention at Yulara, Ayers Rock Resort, were totally betrayed by the Q&A panel. Having been permitted to sit as an observer in the main National Convention at Yulara near Uluru, I was privy to observe the proceedings and I sat through the 'Synthesis' of the Regional Dialogues and what they called the breakout workshops as well, where the key topics were 'The Voice', 'Treaty', 'Strategy'. [node:read-more:link]

The message from the grassroots is clear. We are the Sovereign Owners of Our Nations.

Our Law is the Law of the land. We oppose the lies and the hypocrisy of the Australian government's Referendum Council and their highly paid sellouts.

We are the true Sovereign owners of our land. NO CONSENT to theft, lies and government and corporate propaganda. [node:read-more:link]

A formal complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman about the serious breaches of process that have occurred and are currently occurring by the Referendum Council, which has been formed under the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Maureen E. Davis, Marbk and Ghillar, Michael Anderson include several articles that explain the inconsistencies and deviations from the Referendum Council's stated processes. They call for an immediate investigation of the matters raised and also call for the formal suspension and termination of the activities of the Referendum Council. [node:read-more:link]

The Referendum Council has been having invitation-only dialogue meetings with Aboriginal people across Australia which we called 'secret meetings' because only selected First Nations people were allowed to attend and many Tribes and Nations were not represented.  Now we find that there is an additional 'Invitation-Only' meeting in Canberra. First Nations people who have been seeking a voice for the 'NO' vote have discovered this meeting in Canberra on Wednesday 10 May 2017, because as it was poorly advertised many people do not know about it, so are unable to attend. [node:read-more:link]