Australia's 'Care' for Indigenous Lives: 30 Years, Zero Action
According to The Guardian, Robert Tickner stated, 'time’s up' for action following a record number of Aboriginal deaths in custody in NSW. Tickner, who tabled the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody report in 1991, highlights the 30-year failure to implement recommendations. One might wonder if 'time’s up' means anything when three decades of reports, inquiries, and 'urgent calls to
action' have been systematically ignored. How many times can a government 'turn its back' before we admit it's a deliberate policy choice, not an oversight? This isn't about 'turning their backs'; it's about governments consistently prioritizing corporate extraction from Indigenous lands—think mining leases approved yearly—while simultaneously defunding Indigenous-led solutions. With each new
death-in-custody statistic, and every fresh 'urgent call,' Australia demonstrates an unwavering commitment to performative concern over actual systemic change. It’s almost as if the colonial framework thrives on perpetual crisis, while the profits keep rolling in.