Mission & Justice

Paige Taylor; 16/8/08

Aboriginal entrepreneur Barry Taylor, whose company last year won the largest contract ever awarded to an indigenous business in Australia, claims the resources sector is still getting it wrong when it comes to indigenous employment. Mr Taylor, a Nyamal Aborigine from the Pilbara and executive chairman of indigenous contractor Ngarda Civil and Mining, yesterday labelled as farcical Fortescue boss Andrew Forrest’s plan to create 50,000 jobs for indigenous people within two years. Mr Taylor said Australia’s richest man had failed to understand the importance of doing business with more indigenous companies such as Ngarda. He is also critical of Rio Tinto, which employs more than 1500 indigenous workers. Ngarda cemented its position in the Pilbara last year when it won a $300 million, five-year deal to run BHP Billiton’s Yarrie mine.

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Gina Maka’a; 13/8/08

It has been estimated that in the Solomon Islands, almost 85%-90% of sexual assault cases of adults and children alike have not been reported to the local police or authorities. Solomon Times took the time to talk to Family Support Center’s Counselor, Lovelyn Kwaoga. The Family Support Centre, is a Non-Government Organization that supports victims of domestic violence, rape, prostitution and sexual abuse. Ms. Kwaoga states that common cases of sexual assault are often from single mothers and young girls. It has also been noted that most sexual assault cases are results of domestic violence and alcohol.

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John Wiseman; 13/8/08

Jenny Macklin will today face down Aboriginal leaders on remote homelands in South Australia, telling them the time is almost up for them to sign a new federal housing agreement. On her first official visit to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara lands, the Indigenous Affairs Minister has delivered an ultimatum to the communities to accept the $25million housing deal. “I want the agreement and we just can’t take any more time about it,” she said after visiting Amata, near the Northern Territory border. Ms Macklin and state counterpart Jay Weatherill will today meet members of the APY executive, including chairman Bernard Singer, who has resumed his position after being told to stand aside pending criminal proceedings for assault, alcohol and driving offences.

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6/8/08

Indonesia will execute a total of 39 Indonesian and foreign drug traffickers held on death row by the end of 2009, officials said on Wednesday, as the country faces a growing illegal drugs problem. Three Australians sentenced to death for drug trafficking are not among the 39 because they have not yet exhausted all avenues of appeal. “The president has rejected clemency for 39 people, so the next stage for them is execution,” said Indradi Thanos, head of the national police drugs unit.

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John Ferguson; 2/8/08

Drunk tanks to hold intoxicated troublemakers until they sober up are being considered by police. The sobering-up centres would be used in the fight against drunkenness and street crime, The Herald Sun reports. Senior officers held talks with the Brumby Government this week about the tanks, which are similar to holding cells but with safeguards to protect detainees’ health. The Herald Sun believes they would be modelled on overseas “bed-and-bucket” facilities, with few fittings, allowing drunks to be treated and closely monitored.

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Joel Gibson; 1/8/08

At the 2007 NSW Liquor Store of the Year, staff were instructed to keep “coloureds” out of the shop unless they were willing to come in individually and be searched - and to call police if they refused. Tim Leonard, owner of Old Bar Cellars near Taree on the NSW north coast, wrote a memo to staff in February outlining new rules for Aboriginal customers, “due to the fact that we have now had three known incidents of shoplifting involving the one coloured girl plus friends”. The memo, obtained by the National Indigenous Times newspaper, led to the resignation of Paul Hickey, 33, one of four staff at the time.

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Jill Stark; 31/7/08

Overhauling Australia’s alcohol taxation system would save the Federal Government almost $60 million and would be the most cost-effective way to reduce binge drinking, according to new research. Taxing beer, wine and spirits by alcohol content would dramatically reduce the burden on the health system, the report claims. A study based on World Health Organisation modelling has found that Australia’s problem drinkers would consume less and alcohol-related injuries, accidents and disease would plummet if booze was more expensive. Under a volumetric system, products would be taxed according to potency so that stronger drinks such as cask wine would cost more.

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Adele Horin; 30/7/08
Alcopops may be implicated in the increased risk girls face of dying from alcohol-related causes, a long-term study tabled in the NSW Parliament yesterday has found. The study of child deaths over a decade found the risk for girls increased by 37 per cent while for boys it declined by 17 per cent over the two periods studied, 1996 to 2000 and 2001 to 2005. As well, the risk for 14- to 15-year-olds of dying from alcohol-related causes rose dramatically - by 152 per cent over the two periods - while it declined for 16- to 17-year-olds. The study, Trends In Child Deaths In NSW 1996-2005, was compiled by the NSW Child Death Review Team to identify changes in child-death rates for specific causes and to strengthen prevention measures.

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30/7/08

While Australia’s policy-makers focus on the binge-drinking activities of the nation’s youth, it’s baby boomers that nudge the bottle harder, a pharmaceutical company survey has found. The latest GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Health Index has found almost 10 per cent of people aged 55 to 64 had 20 or more standard drinks in a week, compared to eight per cent of those aged 18 to 24. But the survey found Australians were trying alcohol for the first time at a younger age. Almost 11 per cent of the 18-to-24-year-olds surveyed said they were aged 12 or younger when they had their first alcoholic drink, while 42 per cent were between 12 and 15.

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Gino Vumbaca; 29/7/08

The liquor industry’s reaction to the increase in the alcopop taxation has been loud, vitriolic and uncompromising. More than that, the debate on alcohol taxation has given an interesting insight into the power and influence of the liquor industry. Every day seems to bring yet another press release questioning the increased tax rate on some alcopops. The latest is yesterday’s announcement by the Liquor Merchants Association of Australia that while there was a 30% fall in the volume of ready-to-drink alcohol sold between April and June, sales of full-strength bottled spirits over the same period increased by 46%. It’s not just media releases. Spending some of their substantial corporate profits to campaign against the Government in the Gippsland byelection was considered fair by one part of the industry in the battle for public support.

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