AUSTRALIA NEWS
21st October 2024
By Oyenike
AUSTRALIAN SENATOR DEFENDS HER OUTBURST AGAINST KING CHARLES
An Australian senator has defended her outburst directed at King Charles, accusing him of genocide during his speech at Parliament House.
Lidia Thorpe, an Aboriginal Australian, interrupted the ceremony in Canberra, shouting for about a minute before security intervened to remove her. She alleged genocide against her people, stating, “This is not your land, you are not my King.”
However, Aboriginal elder Aunty Violet Sheridan, who welcomed the royal couple, criticised Thorpe’s actions as disrespectful, asserting that she does not represent her views.
After the protest, Thorpe explained that she aimed to convey a “clear message” to the King, emphasising that true sovereignty comes from being of the land. As an independent senator from Victoria, she advocates for a treaty between the Australian government and Indigenous peoples, noting that, unlike New Zealand, Australia has never established such an agreement. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals assert they never relinquished their sovereignty or land to the Crown.
Thorpe urged the King to encourage Parliament to discuss a peace treaty with Indigenous communities, believing that Australia can improve by addressing these historical injustices.
She expressed that they can lead the way to a better nation, but it requires rejecting the legacy of colonisation. Dressed in a traditional possum skin cloak, she referred to the late Queen Elizabeth II as “colonising” and reiterated her stance.
The ceremony continued without acknowledging the protest, as the royal couple met with hundreds of well-wishers waiting outside.
Lidia Thorpe, an Aboriginal Australian, interrupted the ceremony in Canberra
Despite the incident, the focus remained on the celebration, while Thorpe’s message highlighted ongoing tensions regarding Indigenous rights and recognition in Australia.
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LANDLORD LOSES BID TO RESTORE UNIT AFTER CONVERTING IT FROM ONE TO FIVE BEDROOMS IN ADELAIDE
A landlord in Adelaide has failed in a legal effort to escape the requirement of reverting a one-bedroom unit to its original condition after altering it into a five-bedroom apartment.
Two years prior, Si Ren, who lives in Seaford, Melbourne, was ruled by a court to have made these modifications without obtaining the necessary approval from the building’s strata corporation.
Ren has been contesting a court ruling that requires her to revert the renovations and is considering taking the case to the High Court. She was found to have installed partition walls in the unit to create five distinct bedrooms and subsequently leased each bedroom without authorisation.
Previously, advertisements indicated that each of the five bedrooms was rented for between $150 and $165 weekly, significantly lower than the previous rent of $450 for the entire unit.
In November 2022, the court ordered Ren to undertake necessary renovations to return the apartment to its original state by April 2023, a decision she has since appealed.
Although her appeal was dismissed, the Court of Appeal allowed Ren additional time to comply, extending the deadline to October 28. The court also mandated that she notify her tenants to vacate the unit by September 28.
Ren has sought permission to appeal to the High Court and requested a stay on the previous court orders, including the deadline. However, Supreme Court Justice Chris Bleby denied her request for a stay, stating there was “little prospect” of success for her special leave application.
Landlord loses bid to restore unit after converting it from one to five bedrooms in Adelaide
86-YEAR-OLD MAN CALLS FOR DIGNITY IN DYING AMIDST AGED CARE CRISIS
An 86-year-old man, Cyril Tooze, has asked to end his life after enduring a lengthy wait for government support.
Approved for top-level home care assistance in January due to severe lung and heart conditions, he was initially told he would wait nine months for the necessary care. Now, ten months later, his health has worsened significantly, and he weighs only 42 kg.
Mr Tooze is among over 70,000 elderly Australians awaiting at-home aged care. Frustrated by the prolonged pain and suffering, he believes that death is preferable to continuing this struggle. He has applied to use South Australia’s voluntary assisted dying program.
He expressed his dismay over the healthcare crisis in the country, noting that despite waiting for more than ten months, he still has not received the needed assistance. With his family residing in Queensland and no surgical options available to alleviate his condition, he wishes to spend his remaining time at home.
Though he received temporary home care assistance after sharing his story publicly, he highlighted the urgent need for government action. His local MP criticised the doubling of waiting times for home care since 2022, emphasising the need for immediate investment in aged care services.
A terminally ill 86-year-old man, Cyril Tooze
COALITION URGES COUNCIL FOR THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA TO BE TRANSPARENT, IN WAKE OF MICHAEL PEZZULLO SCANDAL
The decision-making process of the Order of Australia has come under scrutiny after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed his disagreement with the revocation of the medal awarded to former Home Affairs chief Michael Pezzullo.
The Council for the Order of Australia has faced significant backlash for its “mysterious” choice to strip Pezzullo of his medal. Private messages allegedly sent by Pezzullo revealed his support for appointing a conservative “right-winger” as Home Affairs minister. Although the Public Service Commission found he sought personal advantage, no formal corruption investigation was conducted.
Despite the absence of charges, the Council withdrew his medal in September. Political Editor Andrew Clennell raised concerns about the “mysterious” nature of the decision and noted inconsistencies in the process. He remarked that stripping an honour should be based on criminal conduct or corruption findings rather than workplace misconduct.
Clennell questioned the rationale behind the decision, stating, “It doesn’t look right.”
Historically, revocations of Order of Australia medals have been uncommon and typically reserved for criminal offences revealed through formal investigations. For example, former NSW Labor MP Eddie Obeid had his AO revoked in 2014 due to serious corruption findings involving government contracts exceeding $30 million.
Secretary of Home affairs Mike Pezzullo was stripped of his Order of Australia Medal
Another notable revocation occurred with celebrity Rolf Harris, who lost his AO in 2015 after being convicted of multiple counts of indecent assault against minors.
These instances contrast sharply with Pezzullo’s case, as he faced no charges or investigations by the National Anti-Corruption Commission regarding his actions.
SENATOR JAMES PATERSON CRITICIZES LABOR GOVT FOR FAILING TO ADDRESS GROWING ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM IN AUSTRALIA
Shadow Home Affairs Minister James Paterson has vehemently condemned the Albanese administration for permitting radical Islamic factions such as Hizb ut-Tahrir to become more assertive in Australia.
In a discussion with, Paterson called on the Labor government to classify Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terrorist group, akin to its designation in the UK and numerous Muslim countries.
Following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Sheikh Ibrahim Dadoun spoke at a conference in Sydney over the weekend, attended by Hizb ut-Tahrir activists. He expressed his excitement, declaring that “victory was coming” and emphasised that they are progressing towards their goal of establishing a global Islamic caliphate.
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