OPINION: David Connolly’s response in 2023 to being called a ‘bigot’, a ‘racist’, a ‘chauvinist’, ‘intolerant’ and ‘small-minded’ was that “none of that worries me”, which is consistent with Mr Connolly and the CLP Government remaining unperturbed about his appointment as NT Administrator while the politics of division continue to damage our democracy, writes John Lawrence.
People with complex disabilities rely entirely on others to meet their most basic needs, writes Fiona Thomas, and when hospital systems fail them, the harm is immediate, degrading, and preventable.
OPINION: Unlike in the past, none of the exposure following the damning NT Ombudsman’s report into the unlawful conditions in our watch houses, and the refusal to let the UN observe, presents any political concerns for the CLP Government who are happy to own it, writes John Lawrence. If anything, it’s seen as a vote winner.
Aussie pub culture is built on the harsh climates of remote Australia and we are in the perfect place to benefit from this, writes Owen Pike. So how can we turn the disadvantageous weather at this time of year into an economic advantage? The Australian Pub Championships.
For too long now the way our democratic system “works” has become the biggest impediment to the real interests of the citizens of the Northern Territory, Darwin barrister John Lawrence writes, the reality, the “truth”, is the two party system and all who sail in her no longer works; it therefore no longer serves its purpose.
Ian McNeill, the fourth Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, has died in Darwin, aged 76.
The trial of pepper spray for use by the general public with minimal restrictions, coupled with the closure of all public bus interchanges, could lead to violent hot-spots in locations that don’t have security, writes Craig Hubbard.
Has the Litchfield Council lost the plot and forgotten who it represents, and to be open, transparent, accountable and rural, asks Gerry Wood.
An environment conducive to corruption and undermining the rule of law has been created in the Northern Territory, with serious reforms needed to stop it from accelerating further, but our current Chief Minister and government have demonstrated an inability to grapple with such essential tasks needed for the benefit of everyone, writes Dr Don Fuller.
The favourable treatment given by the government to former ICAC Michael Riches, departmental CEO Andrew Kirkman, and police commissioner Jamie Chalker contrasts starkly with the less powerful public servants like Maria Rust and Zach Rolfe, leading to further evidence of the NT being a failed state, writes Dr Don Fuller.
Experienced, highly qualified professional investigators with no connection to the NT Police Force are absolutely essential if justice, the ultimate aim, is ever to be achieved in the death of Kumanjayi White, writes Darwin barrister John Lawrence, adding there is simply no way in 2025 this can be achieved by any branch of the NTPF – the trust required for that to occur no longer exists.
To Close the Gap of Indigenous disadvantage governments at all levels cannot continue with the same failing policies, expecting that next year we will get a different result, we need a radical redirection because the parlous state of our finances, and our social fabric demand it, writes Bob Beadman.
