Two years ago Kevin Rudd, in what appears to have now faded into a largely symbolic apology to Aboriginal Australia, told the nation that: …symbolism is important but, unless the great symbolism of reconciliation is accompanied by an even greater substance, it is little more than a clanging gong. It is not sentiment that makes [...]
I wandered downtown earlier today to catch up with some friends & countrymen at the Prescribed Area People's Alliance Rally outside the John Flynn Church in the middle of the Alice Springs Mall. The main theme of the Rally was to celebrate - in an ironic sense - the second anniversary of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's "Sorry" speech to the Australian Parliament.
There are some days that you’d prefer to be digging a ditch than to be a public servant. Particularly if you were one of the members of Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin’s FaHCSIA staff that turned up to the New South Wales Parliament House on the last Thursday of January to face a grilling [...]
Right now it seems that the meaning of “philanthropic”, in South Australia corporate and government circles at least, is a work in progress.
David Winderlich: I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t disclose how much they are spending on sportsmen like Lance Armstrong - unless of course they are ashamed of it. But there is also the fundamental question that is paramount in any democracy - which is transparency - why shouldn’t people know these things - what is secret about it? I think the general default position is that everything should be open unless there is a good reason for it not to be.
Mike Rann to Crikey: “Any payments associated with teams or cyclists taking part in the Tour Down Under are commercial in confidence. This has been the case since the inception of the race 11 years ago”.
Maybe the last word on what “fake”, “authentic” and “genuine” all mean should be left to ADC’s Tony Athaniou. Athaniou told Yuko Narushima and Joel Gibson of The Age that: "The thing is there's various interpretations of authentic. Authentic to me means that it is hand-painted." "Ubanoo is not a real name, it's a pseudonym for the artist to paint that style.” “The fake or misleading advertising I’ve been doing is for an artist who doesn’t even exist.”
From every perspective, timing, project management, from every perspective it was doomed to failure...there were some very strange things happening....the time-frame was crazy...a lack of planning, proper control, and engagement; it was just never going to work.
Ms SCRYMGOUR: You would not mind paying that amount of money if...Ms CANNON: If it worked! Ms SCRYMGOUR:...it actually worked and provided the kind of information you needed. Ms CANNON: I would not mind paying my $1.2 million if it worked...Ms CANNON: Oh, yes. It has not been a good process.
in ordinary circumstances under the previous regime, Ms Nudjulu would have been a prime candidate for a custodial sentence. She had previous convictions for possession of alcohol contrary to the Liquor Act - and was currently subject to a suspended sentence.
