Article 1: ‘Justice System isn’t just’: Campaigners not surprised by new youth justice report
The new youth justice report by the Productivity Commission is a representation of the judicial injustices against the indigenous people. An indigenous youth is 23 times more likely to be detained compared to their non-indigenous peers. There was a daily average of 30 indigenous kids compared to 1.4 non-indigenous kids held in 2018/2019. However, even with the alarmingly high numbers and difference, Change the Record campaigners are not surprised by the statistics. According to the author, the statistics are a representation of judicial injustices. The author says it is unfortunate that the government would use so much money over $916 million on youth injustice. With most of the money catering for costs at the detention centres, it would be of help if the money was used at the grassroots level to improve the lives of indigenous youth hence reducing the crimes. Increase of more cash at grassroots, reduction of over-representation of indigenous at the judiciary and address for systematic changes are the indigenous standpoints.
The author of the article does not describe the reasons for arrest and the crimes committed by the indigenous offenders. The information could be critical in analysing whether the arrests are credible or part of the ongoing victimisation. Lack of comprehensive offences and individual arrests would clearly show the motive behind the arrests.
There are assumptions that police driven arrests are biased against indigenous offenders. The likely hood of an aboriginal offender being arrested and charged in a court is high. Also, there is an assumption that the court will be punitive to an indigenous offender. However, it can be argued that indigenous youths are more likely to be involved in a crime comrade to their non-indigenous peers. Although the higher arrests are due to a high prevalence of crime among the indigenous youths, victimisation by the police is scales high among indigenous persons. It appears that the bias is un inevitable cause due to increases victimisation and arrests amplified with the rich history of indigenous people involved in the more in-depth criminal justice system. Besides, the indigenous people are theorised to be a representation of subculture or underclass.
The indigenous viewpoint is that they are underprivileged and underrepresented in government. Any indigenous person is likely to interpret the information in the article as a scheme as institutionalised racism. The unjustified arrests through bias and victimisation and further the harsh and unfair punitive decisions by the court represent institution fuelled racism. In such a case, the state is to blame because the institutions of the police and courts are state-owned. The non-indigenous people are likely to interpret the information as correct. Non-indigenous people are privileged and enjoy representation in the federal government. The underlying assumptions against indigenous people will likely inform their opinion.
Article 2: Indigenous groups tell Scott Morrison of ‘deep sorrow’ at bushfire devastation
The article talks about the meeting between the prime minister, Scott Morrison and the indigenous people who expressed their deep sorrow at bushfire devastation. The Aboriginal organisations meet with the government, where they discussed structural and systematic transformation contribution to Closing the Gap.
Closing the Gap is a strategy used by the government to reduce the disadvantage among the indigenous people. Since its beginning, the plan focuses on child mortality, life expectancy, education, early childhood education and employment outcome. All Australian governments committed to attaining health equality in 25 years.
The article omits some critical information that is important towards understanding the article. Although the government have a vision on how to assemble the team and collect needed data, there is no well-elaborated strategy of the project. It is not clear on what precisely are the resolutions of the meeting with the ministers. The decade long, three shared priorities should have been elaborated clearly to avoid any doubt.
Historically, the indigenous people are underrepresented, which they are aware of. In the article, we see the prime minister and his ministers at the conference. The presence of the Prime misters, ministers, the treasure and the indigenous Australian ministers are a representation. It creates an assurance that the government and the prime minister are committed on this course to the end. The prime mister added that he wants to see an indigenous kid grow like any other kid in Australia.
As demonstrated in this article, engaging the community will help increase the practicality of the strategy. As it has been depicted in the article, the previously used strategies produced little results and improvement in some areas, but the sustainable development project with the lack of community inclusion was misled. Government goodwill was the missing ingredient all this time. Government reassurance increases the hope and admiration for the strategy.
The indigenous viewpoint represented in the article is the inclusiveness in the designing, development and implementation of the strategy. The indigenous people, for many years, have always wanted to be part of the solution to their problems. In the new strategy, the decision-making will be shared. The experience and expertise of indigenous [people will be a valuable resource in capacity building. Extensive and genuine consultation with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will take place. It will then paint the accurate picture of the experiences in the main areas of concern that include education, health care, childcare and early childhood education.
The Close the Gap strategy, as represented in the article, would be interpreted differently by both the indigenous and the non-indigenous people. The indigenous people are embracing the approach seeing it as an opportunity to air their grievances. It is a chance to speak with the government at a grass root level which enriches the quality of information. It also allows government representatives to experience indigenous life hands-on. The non-indigenous people will interpret the article as an attempt by the prime minister to decree their power and privileges.
In conclusion, close the Gap 10 year strategy should be a comprehensive plan of action that is evidence-based, targeted to pressing needs and capable of addressing the existing inequalities in all their area of focus hence reduce the disparities between the indigenous people and non-indigenous people.
Task Two
Article 1 talks about the new youth justice report that the writer terms as not fair. Following judicial reports in recent years, there seems to be consistent with the numbers of indigenous offenders being higher than that of non-indigenous offenders. In my view, it paints a picture of unfairness in the execution of justice. I readily agree with the writer of the article that it has become the new norm in Australia. Whether the offences are legitimate or not, the judicial system needs to be evaluated on how it executes its mandate.
According to the article, it is historically overt that the legal system discriminates against indigenous people. The writer states that it does not worry that the numbers of indigenous offenders are in the rise. However, it is historically covert that there are high chances that there are more offenders among indigenous people in comparison to the non-indigenous people.
The indigenous viewpoint demonstrated in this article may create mistrust in the judicial system. The article is one-sided and may influence indigenous people against the justice system and the non-indigenous people with no enough information.
Article 2 talks about the efforts of the government to breach the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous people. While viewing most of the poverty indicators in the past, I learnt that indigenous people are two to three times worse compared to non-indigenous people. I then agree with the government in its efforts and strategy of closing the gap.
According to the article, it is culturally overt that indigenous people have not been had their voice heard in the past. The meeting encouraged their contribution to the development of the overall Closing the Gap strategy. The potential implications represented in the article may be increased inclusion of the indigenous people in the design and development of the overall plan. Indigenous people want to take part in shaping their future. They want to air their grievances since the program is essential to their lives.