En Passant

Stop the forced closure of Aboriginal homeland communities in Western Australia. March in solidarity with WA communities. Assemble at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy at 11.30 am Thursday 19 March at Old Parliament House in Canberra to MARCH to Parliament House at 12 noon.

Driving Aboriginal people off their land is genocide. It has been going on since 1788 and this closure of up to 150 settlements in WA is the latest instalment. Evidently Tony Abbott has no trouble subsidising the lifestyle choices of rich white people.Speaking of remote communities, the Abbott government and Shorten Labor Opposition are the two communities totally removed from the reality of every day life for most workers and the poor. Why do we endlessly subsidise politicians in their lifestyle choices? Australia’s Prime Minister is an ignorant racist pig heading up a genocidal government and system.

The Coalition came to power delivering more of the same cuts as Labor, only worse. It too is incompetent. No amount of xenophobia about refugees, racism against Aborigines or lies about unions is going to save it at the next election.

Many voters retain a yearning for a social democratic Australia, an Australia of increasing living standards, better public health, public education and public transport, for jobs for all, an Australia which seriously addresses climate change and cares for those in need. That yearning for a better world, born of the exploitative capital/labour relationship and the wages system, is clashing with the needs of capital around the globe for good profit rates. The falling rate of profit in Europe and North America and the spread of the contagion to Asia and the Pacific will see the Australian economy worsen over the next few years.

The Abbott government’s response will be to ramp up its attacks on asylum seekers, refugees and unions as well as cutting social welfare and other spending, However this is a government of the walking dead. One push from unions and unionists could bury this zombie government right now.

The fight for Palestine is the fight for a treaty and sovereignty here. The fight for a treaty and sovereignty here is the fight for Palestine. One struggle. One fight.

But what was so stunning about it was that sitting right next to Kunoth-Monks was one of the chief perpetrators – and subsequent defenders – of that “lie”.

For the uninitiated, Tony Jones was once the full-time host of ABC Lateline, a late night ABC current affairs program that broadcast the story Kunoth-Monks is specifically referring to.

Here is the link to Chris Graham’s New Matilda article Without the Back Story, Q&A bombshell goes begging.

‘I have never left my country nor have I ceded any part of it. Nobody has entered into a treaty or talked to me about who I am. I am Arrernte Alyawarre female elder from this country. Please remember that. I am not the problem.’

If you missed Utopia on SBS tonight, you can view it here. The genocide of Aboriginal people continues today.

ANZAC Day, the supposed symbol and celebration of the ‘nation’ denies this most obvious truth – Australian society was founded on the genocide of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and that genocide continues today. Let’s unite and fight to stop the brutal war against Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders now.

The mood of the rally can be summed up in the words of Marlene Wharton, who said, “I am here today to support my friend, my sister, my people against the brutality of the police and what they did to Sheila. This has got to stop. My grandparents fought for the rights of our people back in the day, then my father fought, then my uncles, and now I’m the next generation and I’m not going to stop the struggle and I don’t want anyone else to stop either”.

Dozens of Brisbane Murri community leaders gathered on Tuesday night in the southern suburb of Logan to organise support for Sheila Oakley, who was viciously tasered by police on the doorstep of her home on 6 February write Kaye Broadbent and Sarah Jean in Red Flag. A rally has been called for Saturday 15 February at 11am, assembling at 26 Jacaranda Avenue, Kingston. Speeches will be followed by a march to the Logan police station. After the rally there will be a BBQ fundraiser to support Sheila and her family in their time of need. Everyone who wants to stand in solidarity with Brisbane’s Murri community needs to be there.