Politics

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]

Treaty: Northern Basin Aboriginal Nations (NBAN) - Inter Nation Multilateral Treaty at the original site of the 1972 Embassy in Canberra, 10:00am Wednesday 10 May 2017.
23 First Nations across southern Queensland and northern, north west, upper western and western New South Wales gathered in Canberra yesterday for today's signing of a Multilateral Treaty between these First Nations, which affirms each Nation's independent sovereign status.       ... [node:read-more:link]

Isobelle Anderson of the Kirjin Nation in Far North Queensland has made an official complaint to June Oscar AO, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait and Islander Social Justice Commissioner, regarding the way the Referendum Council is conducting their Regional Dialogue meetings and called the whole process a 'circus'    ...   'To make a complaint to the Ombudsman in Canberra, I have to lodge a complaint with the Commonwealth Agency first. I cannot do this because they will not allow me to ...'    [node:read-more:link]

'We do need to understand who is running the Referendum Council, which is now trying to distance itself from the failed Recognise and Reconciliation campaign for the constitutional inclusion of the words 'Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders'. This engine room they call the 'Referendum Council' must be urgently scrutinised. Who are these people and what are their backgrounds?' - Ghillar, Michael Anderson provides an overview of the deceit by our own people who are being led by a government with a treacherous agenda. [node:read-more:link]

The regional meetings set up by the Referendum Council have been a farce. The 'Delegates' were hand-picked and without any representative election process. Their selection didn't meet western democratic standards or First Nations' protocols. The aim of these meetings has proven to be what many expected, a total whitewash. Anyone with alternative opinions or ideas were unable to speak or even record the events. However SU Volunteers monitored the proceedings at the Sydney meeting and provide their comprehensive report here. [node:read-more:link]