Our Opinion

Thumbs up!

In this week’s edition, PeakCare is awarding two ‘Thumbs Up’ accolades. With special recognition given to this being NAIDOC Week, it is a very appropriate time to bestow our acknowledgement on both recipients. Each week, PeakCare publishes a ‘Thumbs Up’ and/or a ‘Thumbs Down’ about matters that have come to our attention and draw either our commendation or condemnation. If there are matters that you think are worthy of one or other of these acknowledgements, email lwegener@peakcare.org.au and we will consider publishing them.

Thumbs up to Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt for expressing his commitment during a speech recently delivered to the National Press Club to holding a referendum within three years for the purposes of amending the Constitution to recognise the nation’s first Australians and their ‘voice’ at a national level. We trust that Prime Minister Morrison, his Cabinet colleagues and Opposition Members will come to a position of sharing his ambition and the outcomes that are achieved will truly reflect the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Thumbs up to the Queensland Government for this week approving in principle the settlement of a class action initiated on behalf of an estimated 10,000 Indigenous workers who had their wages stolen by the State during the period 1939 to 1972 under the Protection Act that was then in place. Implementation of the settlement scheme is now subject to approval by the Federal Court. Sadly, the righting of this terrible wrong will come too late for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have passed since this injustice occurred, even though their descendants in addition to those who are still alive will become parties to this settlement. A big thumbs up goes to Mr Hans Pearson who was the courageous lead applicant in initiating the class action in September 2016.

If you have an opinion about the ‘Thumbs Up’ accolades we have awarded this week, enter your comments, anonymously if you prefer, below.

The Choice

The outrage and concerns for community safety expressed by many Queenslanders following recent tragic events involving young people committing unlawful…

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Youth Justice at a crossroad

With it having been revealed that Queensland is imprisoning more children than any other Australian State or Territory, it becomes…

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It doesn’t take Einstein…

A question on notice put to the Hon Leanne Linard MP, Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs…

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6 Comments

  1. Name withheld on July 14, 2019 at 2:53 pm

    Both very worthy of PeakCare’s Thumbs Up award

  2. Anonymous on July 14, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    It seems that ken Wyatt may not be receiving the support he will need from the Prime Minister and Cabinet. I hope that your Thumbs Up award was not premature.

  3. name withheld on July 14, 2019 at 2:59 pm

    The Thumbs Up – Thumbs Down acknowledgements are a good and courageous addition to eNews.

  4. Lindsay Wegener on July 15, 2019 at 9:43 am

    very pleased that you like it. I’m sure that there will be no shortage of matters worthy of a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down. ENews subscribers are encouraged to send us their ideas about mattes they think are worthy of these acknowledgements – they can be sent to lwegener@peakcare.org.au

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