The Homeless were Housed in Hotels for COVID, But Are Back on the Streets as Governments Sell-Off Public Housing
With the onset of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, it became apparent that there was an issue with Australia’s ever-increasing homeless population being able to self-isolate to prevent virus contraction and transmission. This included concerns around rough sleepers,...
Victoria Decriminalises Public Drunkenness
Three years after the death of Yorta Yorta woman, Tanya Day, who was arrested for public drunkenness and suffered a fatal fall in a police cell at Castlemaine Police Station, Victoria has finally passed legislation to decriminalise public drunkenness. The...
Family Court of Australia and Federal Circuit Court to Merge
While it hoped no one was looking last Monday night, the Morrison government whipped a 2019 bill out of its back pocket. Aimed at effectively abolishing the standalone Family Court, the government then placed it on the Senate agenda for...
Prison Guards Alleged to Have Kept ‘Trophies’ of Aboriginal Deaths In Custody
Amongst some of the more distressing malpractices raised by the recent NSW parliamentary inquiry into First Nations overincarceration and custodial deaths are allegations of a “trophy culture” existing within Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW). Initiated by NSW MLC David Shoebridge, the...
NSW Police Officer Acquitted of Assault Charges After District Court Appeal
A Police officer who was found guilty of assaulting an Indigenous man in custody has been acquitted of all charges after a District Court Appeal. Last year, NSW Wales Police Officer Iain James Murray was found guilty of two counts...
The Privatising Public Housing Con: An Interview With UNSW City Future’s Dr Alistair Sisson
The Explorer Street public housing estate in inner city South Eveleigh is comprised of 46 one and two storey town houses built in the early 1990s. To stand in front of it, it’s hard to see why the Berejiklian government...
Alleged Sexual Assault in Parliament: How Do You Rate the PM’s Handling of the Matter?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has offered a personal apology and announced a ‘review of workplace culture’ in the wake of allegations that a young Liberal Party staff member was sexually assaulted by a colleague in Parliament House. But the PM...
AIVL’s Melanie Walker on Coming Drug Decriminalisation and Treatment Access
ACT Labor MLA Michael Pettersson has yet again set his sights on reforming the Canberra community. This time it’s in the form of just introduced legislation that would see the decriminalisation of the personal possession and use of illicit substances...
New South Wales to Again Consider Voluntary Assisted-Dying Legislation
New South Wales Independent MP Alex Greenwich will be introducing new Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation to State Parliament, which is expected to be debated later this year. The Sydney MP says it’s time for New South Wales to follow the...
Attempted Murder of Refugee on Nauru Highlights the Failure of Government Policy
At around 11 pm on 9 February 2021, a car driven by a local ran down a Tamil refugee as he was riding a motorcycle on Nauru. The vehicle hit the back of the bike, knocking the Australian-held detainee off,...
