Lidia Thorpe's wild claim against NT chief
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the Northern Territory's chief minister of being 'complicit in the ongoing genocide' of Indigenous Australians.
The claim came after two men recently died in police custody in the Top End, sparking ire across the country.
Senator Thorpe said on Tuesday 'there's no trust in the Northern Territory Police Force'.
'We know that they have systemic racism,' she told the ABC.
'We know through the Kumanjayi Walker inquest that the Northern Territory Police are racist, so families do not trust the Northern Territory Police and we need federal leadership.
'We need the feds to step in here.' Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the Northern Territory's chief minister of being 'complicit in the ongoing genocide' of Indigenous Australians. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
There have been calls, including from Indigenous Affairs Minister Malindiri McCarthy, for an external review of deaths in NT Police custody.
But Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has pushed back, instead saying she trusted the Territory's police to review itself.
'I think that shows how out of touch the Northern Territory Chief Minister is and that she is complicit in the ongoing genocide against our people,' Senator Thorpe said.
Pressed on what grounds she was making the claim, Senator Thorpe said Ms Finocchiaro was playing a role in the system that causing 'ongoing harm of our people'. Senator Thorpe turned independent after being elected as a Greens senator. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia
'The definition of genocide, according to the Geneva Convention, is causing harm to a group of people,' she said.
'The ongoing killings of our people in custody is ongoing harm of our people.
'The incarceration rates of our people, particularly in the Northern Territory, particularly of our children, is an act of genocide.
'The stealing of children and putting them in with white families is an act of genocide.
'So we meet all the definitions of genocide and I've certainly seen that over my time.'
Article II of the Genocide Convention states a party must act with 'intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group'.
NewsWire has contacted Ms Finocchiaro's office for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
10 hours ago
- Perth Now
ScoMo's warning to Albo after Iran strikes
Former prime minister Scott Morrison has accused the Albanese Labor government of not showing enough 'clarity' on the Israel-Iran conflict. Speaking on Sky News on Sunday, Mr Morrison urged Labor to back the United States' attack on Iran's nuclear sites, after Donald Trump deployed a series of strikes on the country's three nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan. 'I think there's been far too much ambiguity about this from Australia, far too much ambiguity, and it's time for clarity,' Mr Morrison said. 'And the clarity is we were dealing with a theocratic authoritarian state that had sponsored an attack on close friends in Israel back on the seventh of October, and they have shown their true colours, and Iran is not a friend of Australia. It's not a friend of Australia's interests. 'We should be expressing no ambiguity when it comes to Iran.' Former prime minister Scott Morrison said Australia had shown 'far too much ambiguity' over the Israel-Iran conflict. NewsWire/ Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Following Mr Trump's confirmation of the strikes, a government spokesperson said Labor has noted Mr Trump's statements, and reiterated the President's comments that 'now is the time for peace'. 'We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security,' they said. 'The security situation in the region is highly volatile. 'We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.' They also urged the 2600 Australians in Iran and 1200 in Israel to monitor public safety information by local authorities and 'shelter in place when required'. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be communicating directly with registered Australians about preparations for assisted departures,' they said. Mr Morrison gave his firm backing of Mr Trump's decision to strike the three Iranian nuclear bases, saying the US were the 'only ones who could do it'. He said the move was done not to 'oppose some sort of regime change', but to end the threat of Iran's nuclear programs, and were 'totally justified given the threat that was faced'. 'This has been the most decisive and the most comprehensive action to terminate that threat,' Mr Morrison told Sky. 'This is not the place that President Trump would rather be. He has not rushed towards this and further, this is not about the US trying to oppose some sort of regime change, they have a very specific job here that they have undertaken.' In the wake of the strikes, Mr Trump urged the Iranian regime to 'make peace' or risk 'greater' and 'easier' attacks. 'There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days,' he said. 'Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes.' US President Donald Trump says Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been 'completely and totally obliterated'. Mr Trump has addressed the nation after the United States carried out attacks on three nuclear sites in Iran, marking a significant development in the conflict in the Middle East. Earlier on Sunday, Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government remained concerned about the prospect of escalation and continued calls for dialogue, denying claims the government was trying to distance itself from the US. However he acknowledged Israel's 'right to defend itself', and the 'risk that the Iranian nuclear and ballistic missile program represents to both the region and the stability of the world'. He said the Department of Foreign Affairs remained alert in trying to evacuate the thousands of Australians caught in Iran and Israel. 'We do have civilian aircraft chartered ready to go in the event that airspace opens up over Iran and Israel, and right now that is the biggest constraint here, that both airspace over both countries is closed,' he said. 'We have a C-17 and a KC-30 which both can take hundreds of passengers placed in Al Minhad (in the United Arab Emirates), which is just outside of Dubai.' Mr Marles said the staff at Al Minhad had been increased from 'about 40, to 'about 300'. US President Donald Trump warned of further attacks on Iran if it doesn't 'make peace'. Carlos Barria/ NewsWire POOL Credit: NewsWire Greens Leader Larissa Waters said the US strikes on Iran were a 'terrifying and catastrophic escalation by the USA,' and called on Mr Albanese to condemn the actions. 'From Iraq to Afghanistan, we have seen Australia follow the US into devastating and brutal wars that have done untold damage to the people of the Middle East. We know that you cannot bomb your way to peace,' she said. Greens defence and foreign affairs spokesman David Shoebridge said Australia should distance itself from the US' actions, including withdrawing from the AUKUS defence pact. 'That means ending the AUKUS agreement, prohibiting the use of US military bases in Australia, including Pine Gap, from being used in this conflict, and clearly opposing military action by the US and Israel against Iran,' he said. 'Like every war, the cost will not be carried by governments, but by people, families and communities who face destruction. 'The impact of war is always inflicted on ordinary people. The Iranian people, who currently face oppression under the Iranian regime, are only put at further risk of violence and persecution by these US and Israeli attacks.'
Perth Now
13 hours ago
- Perth Now
Grim prediction just before Trump strike
Coalition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie made a grim prediction on the future of the Israeli-Iran conflict, stating that 'diplomacy will probably fail' and we would likely 'see a strike of some sort'. Moments later, Donald Trump confirmed the US had 'completed our very successful attack' on three nuclear sites in Iran, dropping a 'full payload of bombs' on Fordow – a uranium enrichment site buried 90m inside a mountain. Two other nuclear sites in Natanz and Esfahan were also targeted. Posting on Truth Social at 9.40am Sunday, the US President confirmed the planes were now 'outside of Iran air space' and were 'safely on their way home'. Opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie's comments on a likely strike from the US came moments before Donald Trump confirmed news on Truth Social. Richard Dobson / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia His comments come just days after he said a decision would likely come 'within the next two weeks'. Appearing on ABC's Insiders on Sunday, Mr Hastie - a former SAS commander - said while he hoped negotitations would see Iran willingly stand down its nuclear programs and subject themselves to independents inspections, he feared it would escalate further. 'We have to take this seriously. Iran is a deeply ideological regime, committed to the destruction of Israel. The supreme leader said he wants to wipe Israel off the map,' he told host David Speers. 'I suspect diplomacy will probably fail and we will see a strike of some sort (in) the next two weeks. 'It will be tough for innocent people caught in the war.' Mr Hastie also backed the Labor government's approach to date, which has focused on calling for further dialogue between the US, Iran and Israel, while also condemning Iran for its nuclear programs. 'I think broadly speaking they've made it clear, Iran shouldn't get a nuclear weapon,' he said. 'Israel has a right to self-defence. We want to see this war ended quickly. That's mine and the Coalition's position. 'I think Foreign Minister (Penny) Wong made that clear as well.'
The Age
19 hours ago
- The Age
Anglican Church can't grow if it fails to accept gay reality
The other day a friend showed me photos of her friends' same-sex wedding. Such joyful scenes as family and friends celebrated with the happy couple. It wasn't a church wedding, and certainly not an Anglican wedding – not even a wedding blessing. While the Anglican Church's highest court has said it is not against the church's constitution to bless same-sex weddings, only a handful of Australian dioceses have permitted that. And now Melbourne Diocese – once the progressive capital of the Australian church – has elected an archbishop firmly opposed to same-sex weddings. There will be no wedding blessings here. He is quoted in last Sunday's Age as saying that church must welcome people in same-sex relationships. But that rings hollow. How can you welcome people while damning their relationships as sinful? The newly elected archbishop, Ric Thorpe, a bishop from London, is first and foremost a church planter. That is why his Melbourne supporters have chosen him. The church is in decline in Melbourne, with numbers of worshippers dropping and many small parishes struggling for survival. His supporters want to see significant growth in the church, and think that means planting lots of new congregations. But will those brave new plants be attractive to Australians in the 21st century, when presumably they will be preaching against same-sex marriage, given the core group of Melbourne Anglicans who campaigned for his election hold the same view? When more than 60 per cent of Australians voted in favour of same-sex marriage in the 2017 plebiscite? Bishop Thorpe claims the Scriptures are clear that marriage is between a man and a woman, and that cannot be set aside. Many significant scripture scholars read the Bible differently. They say the very few Bible verses that are claimed to prohibit same-sex relationships actually prohibit only promiscuous, predatory relationships. But conservatives have latched on to same-sex prohibition as their line in the sand. Some would argue they took up the cause when they lost the debate in the 1990s about ordaining women. It has given them a stick to knock progressive Anglicans into the ground. The election of Bishop Thorpe shows they are winning. The debate has echoes of the nasty debate that raged in the Anglican Church over divorce last century. Divorced people could not remarry in church, and often were made distinctly unwelcome in congregations. It was Melbourne Diocese in the 1970s that overturned that, and pushed the national church to change. And in 1972, Melbourne Diocese called for homosexuality to be decriminalised, eight years before the state government agreed. How sad that Melbourne has now joined the conservatives. Bishop Thorpe is quoted as saying that the same-sex debate is 'a distraction' from the message of the church. No, it is harming the church's message. The church's message is that God is love, and loves all people unconditionally – and that includes gay people, their spouses and their families.
