This week’s main focus was the allegations arising from Monday’s Four Corners story about juvenile detention in the Northern Territory. Basically there’s been some pretty terrible stuff happening to the young people there. The Prime Minister has announced that there will be a Royal Commission looking into whether the treatment of these youths has breached laws and what oversight was there and what more could have been done. There are questions over whether this is the right move, and criticism that the only commissioner chosen is not indigenous – with Bill Shorten suggestion indigenous co-commissioners.
Meanwhile Kevin Rudd is back in the headlines, after Malcolm Turnbull decided not to endorse him as a nominee for UN Secretary General. It was meant to be a cabinet decision, but the suggestion was that they came to an impasse and so Turnbull was allowed to make a captain’s call. Labor is upset at the descision, saying the Coalition are being unfair, while the Coalition are pointing out Labor has, at times, been Rudd’s biggest critic. Rudd has released letters showing communications between him and Turnbull regarding Rudd’s endeavours to be nominated for UN Secretary General. It appears that Turnbull was somewhat supportive up until about May when he changed his mind.
Finally this week, Cardinal Pell has been accused of child sexual abuse, which he is denying and accusing the ABC and the Victoria Police of a conspiracy; the Lindt Inquest will call Andrew Scipione, Cath Byrne and another senior officer to give evidence into their roles during the Lindt Siege; and there are concerns over the possibility of preventative dention measures and control orders and their impact on civil liberties.
Tweet of the Week
Things I’ve Been Looking at Online
Annabel Crabb’s bad dream – The Age
What did the NT Government know about mistreatment of juveniles – ABC Online
Has Vladimir Putin interfered in the US election? – ABC Online
Kara L 