The NT Police Commissioner who claimed earlier this year that he had never seen racism in the police force has offered a sweeping public apology to Indigenous Territorians for “past harms and injustices” inflicted on them over the past 150 years at the hands of the NT Police, while committing to “eliminating racism” in the force under his command.
Michael Murphy made the public apology at the Garma Festival on Saturday afternoon, where he also pledged to deliver a personal apology to the people of Yuendumu at a later date, all of which pre-empted the findings of an ongoing coronial inquest and ICAC investigation into current widespread racism in the police force.
Is this apology to make up for the fact that Labours efforts in Closing The Gap efforts have not shifted the dial?
Public Servants spend a lot of cumulative hours in hearing warm-inner-glow “welcome to country” type messages but when it comes to actually doing something for indigenous people in their communities. NADA, NILL, NOTHING!
Public Servants numbers have climbed to 28000! There is a correlation between Federal Funding for Closing the Gap, the increase in Public Servants in Vote Rich Darwin Suburbs and Federal Fund not being spent in remote communities!
Now we need a personal apology from Commissioner Murphy for not only being racially abusive against members of our chinese community but also for being too drunk to remember.
Then once he is done with that, then apologise for failing to act independent of the Minister in the exercise of powers evidenced by the unwarranted and political issue of the Trespass Notice against the NT Independent reporters.
Respect is a 2 way street, l wonder if the good folk of The Alice or Woodroffe have the same opinion as our less than impressive Police Commissioner?.
I can now expect an apology for having to live behind barb wire barricades, lights, cameras, alarms.
no trip wires, traps or electric fences but every day is a day closer for protection.
Pity the chief did not get his troops organised instead of being a clown in front of a microphone trying to big note himself..