Stop Trying to Make Gay People ‘Straight’: An Interview with Brave Network’s Nathan Despott
The Victorian government has set up a new health complaints watchdog. The Health Complaints Commissioner has the power to place temporary or permanent bans on unethical health providers, and this will include practitioners of gay conversion therapy. The legislation that gives the...
Providing a Future for NT Youth: An Interview with Bush Mob CEO Will MacGregor
Last week, the Northern Territory Supreme Court released Dylan Voller from prison, eight months early. Justice Barr released the 19-year-old Indigenous man, so he can undertake a sixteen week rehabilitation program at the Bush Mob facility in Alice Springs. Mr Voller...
Victorian Youth Justice Crisis: An Interview with Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards
Fifteen youths from Victoria’s Malmsbury youth justice centre rioted and then escaped from the facility on January 25. This led to what Victoria police called a “small crime wave.” The last two teens were apprehended by police 24 hours after the...
Drop Appeal Against Racial Discrimination Ruling: An Interview with Professor Gracelyn Smallwood
Cameron Doomadgee died in police custody on Palm Island on November 19, 2004. The 36-year-old Indigenous man was arrested for being drunk and disorderly. Soon after being detained, he died from massive internal injuries. After the incident, Palm Island residents were...
Harm Minimisation and the Failed War on Drugs: An Interview with NUAA’s Yvonne Samuel
The Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report on June 2, 2011, that declared “the global war on drugs has failed.” The organisation called on governments to experiment with “models of legal regulation of drugs” to curb organised crime and...
Stop Criminalising Homelessness: An Interview with Homeless Persons Union’s Patrick “Spike” Chiappalone
A crisis meeting was called at Melbourne Town Hall on Monday night to discuss the city’s homelessness situation, amid calls to create a new bylaw to ban sleeping rough on the city streets. Victoria police and the tabloid media have been pushing...
A Career of Firsts: An Interview with Former NSW Magistrate Pat O’Shane
Former NSW magistrate Pat O’Shane has had a pioneering career, marked by a series of firsts. The Kunjandji woman, who grew up in North Queensland, became the first female Aboriginal teacher in the state. After teaching at Cairns High School for...
Legalising Psychedelic Drugs: An Interview with LSD Advocate Greg Kasarik
Greg Kasarik appeared in Melbourne’s Magistrates Court on January 10 this year, on a charge of being in possession of a drug of dependency. Kasarik was arrested on April 19 last year, when he was found in possession of LSD, while he was...
From Prisoner to Principal Lawyer: An Interview with Debbie Kilroy
Queensland attorney-general Yvette D’Ath announced the members of the reinstated Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council on November 10 last year. The council works to advise the state government and Court of Appeal on sentencing matters. Amongst the ten members of the council...
Stop Funding Anti-Sex Work Group: An Interview with Vixen Collective’s Jane Green
Victorian sex workers are speaking out against the state government’s announcement that it will provide funding to an anti-sex work organisation called Project Respect. Sex worker advocates say the group is increasing discrimination against their already marginalised community. Victorian minister...
