Why do you criticise us for not living in the European way? (1) taps (2) bathrooms (3) stoves (4) toilets (5) houses (6) lights (7) kitchen.

When you like us to live in the European way we have to get all these things, but we do not have the money to buy all that. We need assistance of the Government because we had to change to money life and that means that we have to get jobs to get the money. We didnt need that in our way.

It is not easy to live in two ways, the Aboriginal way and the balanda way. You are telling us to combine the two ways, but that is not easy because on the one hand we depend on money and jobs and on the other hand we cannot live without our moieties, skingroups, dreamings, animals, country, totems and so on.

They say we are "full citizen" but we do not know what this really means, some of us think it means that you can drink as much grog as you like. As citizen we live in the balanda law, but we have our own law too.

Jack Mirritji, My People's Life An Aboriginal's Own Story, Millingimbi, 1976, p 71

Latest Papers

The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.

The Next Era of Social Enterprise (released 13 September 2008)
Collection of papers and speeches associated with Lord Mawson's "Board Room" and "Church Hall" visit to Australia in Sept 2008. This includes a 36 min, unedited, sound extract of his illuminating 2 hour discussion with Noel Pearson in the Daintree Raiinforest that is part of a forthcoming video documentary.
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Beyond CDEP - Professor Marcia Langton (released 22 August 2008)
Marcia Langton has become one of the most powerful orators in Australia. After three decades of working, researching and advocating for Indigenous Australians, her off-the-cuff speeches are to be treasured. In this speech, given without notes at the recent GARMA Festival of Traditional Culture, Marcia outlines her vision of a post-CDEP world for Indigenous Australia.
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50000 Jobs - Can it Be Done? (released 18 August 2008)
Entrepreneur and friend of Indigenous Australia Micko O'Byrne was put on the spot to talk about the Andrew Forrest initiative of creating 50,000 Indigenous jobs at the recent GARMA festival. He was initially sceptical but he came around to the importance of setting a goal and trying to achieve it. His ideas and the way he spoke were well received by supporters and critics alike.
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Letter from Australia (May-July 2008) Credibility (released 28 July 2008)
As Gordon Brown and the Tony Blair legacy fall apart in the UK; as the Democrats turn away from the trusted Clinton team to take a chance on a new young man; as tremors run through the world’s financial markets and as Australians begin to question whether Kevin Rudd has that X factor which defines leadership - after only six months in the job - our theme in this Letter from Australia is credibility. We also pay tribute to the great Australian broadcaster John Cargher.
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Tin Tin 2008: Senator Penny Wong (released 17 July 2008)
The star of this Tin Tin Index is Senator Penny Wong.
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Australian Gulag (released 7 June 2008)
The Australian rate of Indigenous imprisonment has risen from 1713 per 100,000 of population in 2000 to 2187 in 2007 a rise of 28 per cent. Since 2000, Indigenous imprisonment rates have risen a staggering 53 per cent in the Northern Territory, 49 per cent in South Australia, 34 per cent in Tasmania, 31 per cent in NSW, 28 per cent in Victoria, 27 per cent in Western Australia and 7 per cent in Queensland.
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The Labor Millionaires Club and What Happens Next in NSW (released 7 May 2008)
Premier Iemma and Treasurer Costa’s open defiance of the NSW Labor Conference goes far beyond the relative autonomy of the Parliamentary Caucus. The Premier and the members of the parliamentary caucus become the modern equivalents of the famous faceless men. They effectively use the support, machinery and platform of the Labor Party to become elected but then defy the democratic and organic processes of the Labor Party, Labor Conference and the aspirations of thousands of ordinary members. Because of this the NSW Labor Administrative Committee are in a strong position to take action against the Premier and the Treasurer.
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Keating's Past is Not NSW Labor's Future (released 7 May 2008)
A response to Paul Keatings's op ed in the Sydney Morning Herald this morning.
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This month in Australia - Two Up - April 2008 (released 1 May 2008)
An independent summary of Australian news and events. Featuring the music and songs of Andrew Baylor, Chad Morgan, the Pigram Brothers, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, Hopevale's Corduroy Country Connection Band, the Gadflies, Tex, Don & Charlie, Percy Grainger, Jimmy Little, Seaman Dan and the Black Image Band featuring Bilgammu on pedal steel. This month's podcast includes: Part 1 - Two Up, Part 2 - Hopevale & Gurrumul, Part 3 - Divorcing Telstra, Part 4 - The Old Soft Screw, Part 5 - Bad Buggers, Part 6 - What is the Australian Voice? Part 7 - What is the Australian Voice?
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The Stuck Nation (released 21 April 2008)
A Discussion Starter for the Edmund Rice Centre’s Brooklyn Project which brought 30 Young Australians together for a discussion about Future Challenges from 2-6 April, 2008
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