Time to Support West Papua: An Interview with Independence Leader Benny Wenda
On September 26, West Papuan leader Benny Wenda presented a petition to the UN Special Committee on Decolonisation (C24) calling for an internationally supervised vote on West Papuan self-determination. The petition was signed by 1.8 million West Papuan people, which...
Moving Away from the War on Drugs: An Interview with Dr Alex Wodak
The war on drugs in not over yet. But there seems to be some glimmering light at the end of the tunnel, with the major drug law reforms that have been taking place globally over recent years. The US once...
The Need for a Bill of Rights: An Interview with UNSW Professor George Williams
On October 17, Australia won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council: the international body responsible for the protection of human rights around the globe. It’s hoped the nation’s new position might improve rights issues domestically. But, many aren’t holding...
Richmond Injecting Centre Approved: An Interview With YDHF’s Greg Denham
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has finally approved the two-year trial of a safe injecting centre in North Richmond. The announcement came in the wake of newly released figures that show 34 overdose deaths have already occurred in the local council...
Australia Needs a Bill of Rights: An Interview with MP Andrew Wilkie
Over recent years, both the federal and state governments have enacted countless laws that encroach upon the basic liberties and legal safeguards of Australians. At the national level, the right to privacy has been sacrificed under the federal government’s mandatory metadata...
It’s Time for Politicians to Implement Sensible Policies: An Interview with Nevena Spirovska
The ACT government made a forward thinking move in September by approving the country’s first pill testing trial at a music festival. But a few weeks later, organisers of the Spilt Milk festival said they were unable to continue with...
Legalising the Inaccessible: An Interview with Medicinal Cannabis Advocate Dr Teresa Towpik
A medicinal cannabis bill that would make it easier for terminally ill patients to access imported cannabis medicines passed through the Senate on Thursday. However, it’s expected the Turnbull government will vote it down in the lower house. This really...
Forgotten Australian Slavery: An Interview with ASSI-PJ President Emelda Davis
Benjamin Boyd was a wealthy entrepreneur who arrived in NSW in 1842. The Scottish-born coloniser bought large tracts of land around Eden, in southern NSW. Boyd had concerns about securing labour to work on his properties, so he undertook Australia’s...
The CNS Prevents Indigenous Deaths in Custody: An Interview with Gerry Georgatos
The Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody delivered its final report on April 15 1991. The commissioners made 339 recommendations concerning custody procedures, liaison with Indigenous groups and the education of police. The 223rd recommendation was that police, Aboriginal...
Biometric Surveillance: An Interview with Electronic Frontiers Australia’s Jon Lawrence
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting on October 5 marked a new era of mass surveillance in this country, as the leaders of all states and territories signed on to the Turnbull government’s proposal for a national facial recognition system....
