Spineless Cowards and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

December 15, 2023

While Ross may be keeping his eye on NZers, mine will be on the ball. The ball in this case is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Senator Lidia Thorpe’s bill before the Senate on December 6th was defeated 10 votes to 27 with the major parties combining to sink the bill.

This act of bastardry (I’m being polite) by the Federal Government exposes them for what they really are: spineless cowards! At a time when this Government had a chance to save face and show a semblance of leadership, they dogged it!

For those unfamiliar with UNDRIP, its legislation provides indigenous peoples with the same rights as non-indigenes although under the Australian Constitution we don’t have any Human Rights. And under the same Constitution we don’t live in in a democracy either. We live in an Autocracy where the Government of the Day calls the shots and people who elected the Government have none and no recourse in law to boot.

Wednesday December 6th will be remembered for what was/is: White Wednesday! Just another day in the colony.

For more on this topic, P&I recommends:

What happened to Indigenous Rights? The world will judge Australia harshly

The prolonged debate about the Voice to Parliament was dominated by the question about what rights should be accorded to our First Nations communities. It was, without doubt, the most potent argument advanced by proponents of the no case. By enshrining the Voice in the constitution, it was said, Aborigines and Islanders were to be given special rights not available to other Australians. It was, therefore, unfair and discriminatory and divided the nation. What is more it encouraged indigenous separatism which threatened national unity.