Irregardless of what side of Politics you are from, the drama that was played out on Australia Day at Canberra by Aboriginals and Aboriginals' supporters, beseiging the Emergency Services Awards Ceremony was Un Australian.

Now a Byzantine plot is emerging as to how this matter was ignited, already a Labor Media advisor Tony Hodges has fallen on his sword after admitting  he made the call to ACT Union Offical Kim Sattler who told Organisers at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy,  that Tony Abbott had said it was time 'to move on'. (Something he vehemently denies as out of context) This started the dominos falling, eventuating in the seige on the restaurant.

The Opposition is calling for a full Police investigation of the matter and rightly so. The Federal Police have already foreshadowed that the matter wouldn't be taken any further.

Yet...this is the most serious of events and should have a thorough investigation and Police should be fearless if the law has been broken and bringing offenders to brook.

To have our Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition running for their safety is totally unacceptable. To have no charges emanating from this seige is astonishing. If this had been a riot where the proponents were white and they were demonstating against Aboriginals what do you think the outcome would have been?

The Aboriginal leaders in the fracas claimed it was aimed at Tony Abbott, yet television footage clearly demonsrates that they were chanting, "shame Gillard shame!"

Already senior respected Aboriiginal elders not connected with the Tent Embassy have come out against the proceedings of the seige and that's what it was, a siege.

It was clear from Julia Gillard's body language that she didn't see this one coming and she was obviously frightened as they rushed her to her car. To her  credit she saw to Tony Abbott's safety as well.

This matter transcends Politics in that, had a demonstrator had a weapon it would have easy to take down either leader.

Steps must be taken to ensure this never happens again, no matter who is demonstrating.

Those involved should hang their heads in shame, they did nothing to promote their causes and indeed put their profile back into the dark ages.

Further, in the after shocks, to see Aboriginals burning the Autralian flag and spitting on it, almost made me want to throw up. Imagine if a white did it to the Aboriginal Flag, when you turn it around it looks different doesn't it!

If Aboriginals wanted to be treated with respect, they must first learn, that to gain respect, you must in the first instance have it yourself.

You lost me at 'UnAustralian' - the first sentence.

Blah blah blah.

I wouldn't call them Aboriginal anyway.
Real Aboriginals stick to a vocation in regards to the 'Land'(Park Rangers, Environmentalists, Crop Farmers, etc)
...not Politics.

red baron wrote on Jan 30^th, 2012 at 2:50pm:


I don't know about un-Australian, but it was bloody ridiculous and an international embarrassment.

Reading between the lines, Tony Hodges didn't actually do anything wrong. He did what he was paid to do. He let the media know which events the PM was attending. It was disgraceful that he was made a convenient scapegoat as a result.

The real issue was that somebody (not Tony Hodges) decided to do a bit of rabble rousing. Now maybe that somebody wanted to direct the riot at Tony Abbott and it all backfired, but we don't know that. Those responsible for the riot should be prosecuted.

freediver wrote on Jan 31^st, 2012 at 8:38am:


Don't know about that my mates brother inlaw is a Senior public servant in one of the larger depts

falah wrote on Jan 31^st, 2012 at 12:29pm:

The Eureka Rebellion of 1854 was an organised rebellion by gold miners which occurred at Eureka Lead in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The Battle of Eureka Stockade (by which the rebellion is popularly known) was fought on 3 December 1854 and named for the stockade structure erected by miners during the conflict.[1] Resulting in the deaths of over 30 people, it was the most significant conflict in the colonial history of Victoria.

The event was the culmination of civil disobedience in the Ballarat region during the Victorian gold rush with miners objecting to heavily priced mining items, the expense of a Miner's Licence, taxation (via the licence) without representation and the actions of the government and its agents (the police and military)[2][3] The local rebellion in Ballarat grew from a Ballarat Reform League movement and culminated in organised battle at the stockades against colonial forces.

Mass public support for the captured 'rebels' in the colony's capital of Melbourne when they were placed on trial resulted in the introduction of full white male suffrage for elections for the lower house in the Victorian parliament.[2] The Eureka Rebellion is controversially identified with the birth of democracy in Australia and interpreted by some as a political revolt.[

Thanks for your input fellow Politickers, even if you don't agree with my opinion, I totally respect your right to blast away.

We should all cherish this right because right now Julia Gillard has gang pressed a committee, to try and blow those rights  away. After Mike Smith nearly blew her out of the water with her shadowy past, at the Lawyers firm Slater and Gordon. When Gillard was in bed (literally) with one of the heavies of the AWU. Seems a million dollars of union funds went missing. Much muttering around but no investigation. Gillard passed the whole thing off as 'being young and naive' in Parliament but more remains unexplained than the wreck of the Mary Deare.

Shortly afterwards, Mike Smith was sacked from 2UE. The allegations died with his dismissal. Then Gillard went on the attack and threatened to 'Nuke the media'. Since then there has been a frightened rabbit response from the Media where she is concerned. Her plan is to control what goes on the Media and on the Internet. This Committee is actively working towards that end. She has a Commie Professor in charge of it and he intends to do in bloggers like you and I. So enjoy your right to blog, who knows how long we will have it under Gillard, 'Former Secretary of the Communist Party' and still member of the Fabian Society.

On the subject of the Federal Police role in the Australia Day Siege. The officers there, clearly did their job but the same can't be said for their bosses who have failed in the Duty of Care. You ask, why should there be an investigation? Then please read my initial post, because those Aboriginals trod all over what Democracy stood for that day. Yes they have the right to potest but not the right to lay seige and threaten the safety of anyone. They  get damned well everything, Rudd has said Sorry, they get more grants with dwellings, education, health and everything else you can put your hand out for. Still they are not happy. In my working life I have earned and paid for every single thing I own, it hasn't been handed too me as the result of a grab bag of goodies, kust hard bloody grind.

I used to work in the Aviation game and the Federal Police at the Airports, used to be referred to as the Cardboard Cut Outs. When there was a problem, we were supposed to page 'Mr. Be Swift to the departure lounge etc.' But usually Mr. Be Swift didn't turn up...hence their nickname  'cardboard cut outs'.

They have a long way to go before they start resembling real cops. At least their heirachy does.