Indigenous Australians

‘Defining moment’MPs probing Juukan Gorge disaster cleared to visit WA

A parliamentary committee has finally been granted a COVID travel exemption to visit the Pilbara to see first-hand the aftermath of Rio Tinto’s destruction of the sacred site.

Annabel Hennessy

opinion
opinion
Rangi Hirini
opinion
Annaliesse’s death a reminder to protect all children

11-year-old Annaliesse Ugle’s death will be a lesson for many people. But it shouldn’t have taken a mother burying her daughter for that to happen, writes Rangi Hirini.

Rangi Hirini

Leases ‘invalid’Billionaires in legal wrangle over Pilbara mine

Andrew Forrest and Chris Ellison are embroiled in a dispute over what was to be Australia’s first Aboriginal-owned iron ore mine.

Stuart McKinnon

Justice for AnnaliesseVigil for ‘beautiful angel’ lights up Parliament

Candles glowed across the steps of Parliament House tonight as mourners gathered to remember Annaliesse Ugle — the 11-year-old who took her own life after her alleged rapist was given bail.

Sarah Steger

Shocking deathWA police officers ‘keep getting bail calls wrong’

Police officers granting serious alleged offenders bail is a weak point in a system that favours the accused over the victim, former top cop Karl O’Callaghan claims.

Caitlyn Rintoul & Jenna Clarke

Mistakes made‘Human tragedy’: McGowan sorry for Annaliesse’s death

Mark McGowan has apologised to ‘everyone involved’ for the death of Annaliesse Ugle, describing the 11-year-old’s suicide after her alleged sex abuser was granted bail as ‘beyond understanding’.

Josh Zimmerman

Quarantine debtMcGowan’s brutal takedown of claims WA ‘owes NSW $8m’

Mark McGowan has blasted suggestions that WA should repay New South Wales for the cost of quarantining West Australians, saying WA had accepted the most returning Aussies per capita of all States.

Josh Zimmerman

End the silenceJustice for Annaliesse: Family announces vigil plans

A vigil is to be held on the steps of WA State Parliament tonight to call for justice for Annaliesse Ugle — the 11-year-old who took her own life after her alleged rapist was granted bail.

Annabel Hennessy

Taking ownership‘We should’ve opposed bail’: Cops’ suicide case regret

In a stunning admission WA Police said they ‘take ownership’ of the fact they should have opposed bail for an accused sex abuser, whose 11-year-old victim took her own life after he walked free.

Daryna Zadvirna

Tom Percy QCBail in tragic rape-accused case ‘not unusual’: Percy

WA would need ‘three more Casuarina prisons’ if accused criminals were locked up from the time they were arrested until their trial, according to top Perth lawyer Tom Percy QC.

Caitlyn Rintoul & Jenna Clarke

Call to actionNo police bail for accused child sex offenders: Libs

The tragic suicide of an 11-year-old girl has sparked calls to reform the Bail Act.

Josh Zimmerman

‘Systemic failure’Dismay at suicide tragedy looks set to spark inquiry

Deputy Premier Roger Cook said this morning he expects the Department of Justice will conduct a formal inquiry into the suicide of an 11-year-old girl after her alleged sex abuser was granted bail.

Josh Zimmerman, Peter Law and Charlotte Elton

opinion
opinion
Risk factors
opinion
The tragedy of illness faced by Indigenous Australians

The sad reality of WA is there are hundreds of children who will face an uncertain future purely based on their Indigenous heritage and where they live.

Rangi Hirini

Tough campaignerWA Greens name replacement for Rachel Siewert

The WA Greens have elected a Noongar Yamatji woman to replace outgoing Senator Rachel Siewert, with their charge potentially becoming WA’s first female Aboriginal Senator.

Rangi Hirini

Little lungsGrandma’s intuition saves kids from chronic illness

When Denetta Cox’s granddaughter kept coughing in her sleep, the Kimberley health worker knew something was wrong.

Rangi Hirini

On trackSouth Flank on schedule despite heritage talks: BHP

The mining giant has reiterated expectations for first ore from the $US3.1b sustaining project to be achieved by the middle of next year.

Stuart McKinnon

$400m claimClass action launched over Indigenous stolen wages

A class action has been launched against the West Australian government in the hope of recovering wages stolen from Indigenous workers who laboured in terrible conditions.

Line drawnMining lobby rejects heritage genocide claims

The Minerals Council of Australia has responded to assertions by WA Senator Pat Dodson that the mining sector had embarked on a campaign of incremental genocide of Indigenous heritage.

Stuart McKinnon

Call for better futureFirst Aboriginal leadership conference a success

The Great Southern Noongar Emerging Leadership Group hosted its inaugural Aboriginal Leadership Conference on Wednesday to push for a brighter future for the region’s youth.

Kellie Balaam

Tough questionRio boss stumbles over Perth head office question

Mining giant’s outgoing boss, Jean-Sebastien Jacques, struggles to answer whether the Juukan Gorge shelter debacle might have been different had Rio’s headquarters been located in Perth.

Stuart McKinnon

Jobs wipe-outNew stats lay bare COVID’s impact on households

Among the latest data released by the ABS is the startling revelation that an estimated 580,000 children were living in jobless families at the height of the pandemic.

Paul Osborne

Taking charge‘Tent City’ holds its own homelessness forum

The group of homeless West Aussies who became a trending topic in this year’s City of Perth lord mayoral election have held their own forum on the issue.

Rangi Hirini

Heritage impactsJuukan fallout set to push back Rio’s Winu copper plans

The miner has warned that changes to its Indigenous engagement processes following the Juukan Gorge disaster are likely to delay plans to bring the copper and gold project into production.

Stuart McKinnon

New roleRio seeks WA engineer for ‘cave assessment’

Rio Tinto is looking to hire a senior engineer for ‘cave assessment’ following the Juukan Gorge disaster, which claimed the scalps of three senior executives including its CEO.

Danielle Le Messurier