Young people at Banksia Hill invite ‘outside-in' for first-of-its kind Reconciliation Week event
The Department of Justice's event, Benang Moorditjabiny — Becoming Stronger for Tomorrow — featured reconciliation messages from Government and non-government representatives, cultural dance performances and a group yarning session.
Ninety guests attended, including former Senator Patrick Dodson, Attorney General Tony Buti, Minister for Corrective Services Paul Papalia, Elders and community leaders from across the State.
Mr Dodson — the father of reconciliation — said it was 'a great initiative'.
'The fact that the people in here, the young fellas and the young people inside, wanted to see and invited people from outside to come in, that to me is a great initiative and a great compliment to them, but also a compliment to the authorities for enabling that to happen,' he said.
Banksia Hill's 'outside in' event showed what can be done when people are serious about reconciliation, and what can happened when people come together for a common purpose.
'This helps both parties, the young kids, the people that work with them and gives everyone a sense that we are able to not only help people when they're here, but to hopefully put the onus back on the communities to make sure that they don't come back here,' Mr Dodson said.
'There's a lot of hope that, working together, we can make life better, not only for the young people, but for the people that work in these places. We sometimes don't see, but there are real possibilities, and real values in doing some of the things they might have to do.'
Department of Justice Director General Kylie Maj said it was a 'first of its kind' event.
'We listened when young people told us they would like 'to bring the outside world in' to celebrate National Reconciliation Week,' Ms Maj said.
'Here at Banksia Hill, it's evident we are taking significant steps to improve outcomes for young people, alongside Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations, including the introduction of important programs and supports.'
Reconciliation WA's engagement with students at Banksia Hill focused on ways to encourage young people to find and use their voices and take part in ongoing conversations about reconciliation and their futures.
Young people at Banksia Hill were involved in event planning and delivery and were supported by the Corrective Services' Aboriginal Services team and the Aboriginal Justice Transformation unit.
Despite the 'marvellous achievements' of the Banksia Hill event, Mr Dodson believes a lot of work still needs to be done nationally.
'There's a bit more enlightenment in some of our jurisdictions that need to take place, and they better get on with it and make the changes to make things improve for the young people,' he said.
'For our communities, we've got to keep their young people out of harm and out of the attention of the police, which bring them into these places through the courts.'
The event was hosted in partnership with Reconciliation WA.
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The Advertiser
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Trump has faced pressure to make public documents from the federal investigations into Epstein, who took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his longtime girlfriend Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Even if one or both of the judges allow the transcripts to be made public, it is unclear whether the public would learn anything new or noteworthy. In the filings, prosecutors said the only witness at Epstein's grand jury was an FBI agent. That same agent and a New York City Police Department detective were the only witnesses at Maxwell's grand jury, prosecutors said. Maxwell's four-week trial in 2021 included public testimony from alleged sex trafficking victims, associates of Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officers. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida and is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. She had pleaded not guilty. The unsealing requests came after Trump earlier in July asked Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts. The president did so after the Justice Department said it concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that there was no incriminating list of his clients. The Justice Department's announcement angered some of Trump's conservative supporters who believe the government is covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful and that the financier was murdered in jail. The transcripts would not represent all previously unreleased material in the government's possession. Investigators and prosecutors may pursue leads that they cannot substantiate or interview potential witnesses whom they do not ultimately call to testify before a grand jury. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge brought under Florida law and was given a 13-month sentence in a deal with prosecutors now widely regarded as too lenient. Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, last week met with Maxwell to see if she had any information about others who had committed crimes. Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, and Blanche have not provided detailed accounts of their discussions. US President Donald Trump's administration, seeking to ease an uproar plaguing his presidency, has urged two judges to release testimony to a grand jury that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges. In late-night court filings on Tuesday, US federal prosecutors said unsealing the materials would be appropriate given the "abundant public interest" in the case of Epstein, the late financier, and Maxwell, an imprisoned British socialite. The Republican Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if re-elected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But earlier in July, the Department of Justice said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters. Democrats are also pushing for the release of Epstein files, saying Trump should be held accountable for breaking his promise to release them. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a group of his fellow Democrats said they have invoked a century-old law to compel the Justice Department to release a broad range of Epstein documents while protecting the privacy of victims. Asked whether Tuesday's letter to Attorney-General Pam Bondi included the release of grand jury transcripts, Schumer told reporters, "Well, that will have to be litigated." It was unclear whether the Justice Department would aim to respond by the August 15 deadline that the Democrats set. The DOJ first sought court permission on July 18 to make public transcripts of the confidential testimony given by witnesses years ago in the two cases, but Manhattan-based US District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer asked the government to flesh out the legal bases for the requests. Trump has faced pressure to make public documents from the federal investigations into Epstein, who took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his longtime girlfriend Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Even if one or both of the judges allow the transcripts to be made public, it is unclear whether the public would learn anything new or noteworthy. In the filings, prosecutors said the only witness at Epstein's grand jury was an FBI agent. That same agent and a New York City Police Department detective were the only witnesses at Maxwell's grand jury, prosecutors said. Maxwell's four-week trial in 2021 included public testimony from alleged sex trafficking victims, associates of Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officers. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida and is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. She had pleaded not guilty. The unsealing requests came after Trump earlier in July asked Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts. The president did so after the Justice Department said it concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that there was no incriminating list of his clients. The Justice Department's announcement angered some of Trump's conservative supporters who believe the government is covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful and that the financier was murdered in jail. The transcripts would not represent all previously unreleased material in the government's possession. 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In late-night court filings on Tuesday, US federal prosecutors said unsealing the materials would be appropriate given the "abundant public interest" in the case of Epstein, the late financier, and Maxwell, an imprisoned British socialite. The Republican Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if re-elected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But earlier in July, the Department of Justice said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters. Democrats are also pushing for the release of Epstein files, saying Trump should be held accountable for breaking his promise to release them. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a group of his fellow Democrats said they have invoked a century-old law to compel the Justice Department to release a broad range of Epstein documents while protecting the privacy of victims. Asked whether Tuesday's letter to Attorney-General Pam Bondi included the release of grand jury transcripts, Schumer told reporters, "Well, that will have to be litigated." It was unclear whether the Justice Department would aim to respond by the August 15 deadline that the Democrats set. The DOJ first sought court permission on July 18 to make public transcripts of the confidential testimony given by witnesses years ago in the two cases, but Manhattan-based US District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer asked the government to flesh out the legal bases for the requests. Trump has faced pressure to make public documents from the federal investigations into Epstein, who took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his longtime girlfriend Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Even if one or both of the judges allow the transcripts to be made public, it is unclear whether the public would learn anything new or noteworthy. In the filings, prosecutors said the only witness at Epstein's grand jury was an FBI agent. That same agent and a New York City Police Department detective were the only witnesses at Maxwell's grand jury, prosecutors said. Maxwell's four-week trial in 2021 included public testimony from alleged sex trafficking victims, associates of Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officers. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida and is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. She had pleaded not guilty. The unsealing requests came after Trump earlier in July asked Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts. The president did so after the Justice Department said it concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that there was no incriminating list of his clients. The Justice Department's announcement angered some of Trump's conservative supporters who believe the government is covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful and that the financier was murdered in jail. The transcripts would not represent all previously unreleased material in the government's possession. Investigators and prosecutors may pursue leads that they cannot substantiate or interview potential witnesses whom they do not ultimately call to testify before a grand jury. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge brought under Florida law and was given a 13-month sentence in a deal with prosecutors now widely regarded as too lenient. Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, last week met with Maxwell to see if she had any information about others who had committed crimes. Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, and Blanche have not provided detailed accounts of their discussions. US President Donald Trump's administration, seeking to ease an uproar plaguing his presidency, has urged two judges to release testimony to a grand jury that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges. In late-night court filings on Tuesday, US federal prosecutors said unsealing the materials would be appropriate given the "abundant public interest" in the case of Epstein, the late financier, and Maxwell, an imprisoned British socialite. The Republican Trump had promised to make public Epstein-related files if re-elected and accused Democrats of covering up the truth. But earlier in July, the Department of Justice said a previously touted Epstein client list did not exist, angering Trump's supporters. Democrats are also pushing for the release of Epstein files, saying Trump should be held accountable for breaking his promise to release them. US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and a group of his fellow Democrats said they have invoked a century-old law to compel the Justice Department to release a broad range of Epstein documents while protecting the privacy of victims. Asked whether Tuesday's letter to Attorney-General Pam Bondi included the release of grand jury transcripts, Schumer told reporters, "Well, that will have to be litigated." It was unclear whether the Justice Department would aim to respond by the August 15 deadline that the Democrats set. The DOJ first sought court permission on July 18 to make public transcripts of the confidential testimony given by witnesses years ago in the two cases, but Manhattan-based US District Judges Richard Berman and Paul Engelmayer asked the government to flesh out the legal bases for the requests. Trump has faced pressure to make public documents from the federal investigations into Epstein, who took his own life in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, and his longtime girlfriend Maxwell, who was convicted of sex trafficking in 2021. Even if one or both of the judges allow the transcripts to be made public, it is unclear whether the public would learn anything new or noteworthy. In the filings, prosecutors said the only witness at Epstein's grand jury was an FBI agent. That same agent and a New York City Police Department detective were the only witnesses at Maxwell's grand jury, prosecutors said. Maxwell's four-week trial in 2021 included public testimony from alleged sex trafficking victims, associates of Epstein and Maxwell, and law enforcement officers. She is serving a 20-year prison sentence in Florida and is asking the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction. She had pleaded not guilty. The unsealing requests came after Trump earlier in July asked Bondi to seek the release of grand jury transcripts. The president did so after the Justice Department said it concluded that Epstein died by suicide and that there was no incriminating list of his clients. The Justice Department's announcement angered some of Trump's conservative supporters who believe the government is covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful and that the financier was murdered in jail. The transcripts would not represent all previously unreleased material in the government's possession. Investigators and prosecutors may pursue leads that they cannot substantiate or interview potential witnesses whom they do not ultimately call to testify before a grand jury. Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a prostitution charge brought under Florida law and was given a 13-month sentence in a deal with prosecutors now widely regarded as too lenient. Deputy US Attorney-General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal lawyer, last week met with Maxwell to see if she had any information about others who had committed crimes. Maxwell's lawyer, David Markus, and Blanche have not provided detailed accounts of their discussions.
Perth Now
a day ago
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Trump pushes for release of Epstein, Maxwell testimony
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Perth Now
6 days ago
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Maxwell names ‘100 different people' linked to Epstein
Notorious sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell provided the Department of Justice with information related to about '100 different people' connected to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to her lawyer after two days of questioning led by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. David Oscar Markus told reporters that his client, currently serving a 20-year prison term following her 2021 conviction in Manhattan on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges, was 'asked about every possible thing you could imagine – everything.' He added, 'This was the first opportunity she's ever been given to answer questions about what happened. The truth will come out about what happened with Mr. Epstein and she's the person who's answering those questions.' During the Friday interview, Maxwell reportedly answered 'every single question' and chose not to invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. 'If she lies they could charge her with lying,' Mr Markus noted. Maxwell is appealing her conviction and sentence, and some experts suggest her full cooperation might be linked to a potential clemency grant from US President Donald Trump. Mr Markus described Mr Trump as 'the ultimate dealmaker' and said his client 'has been treated unfairly for the past five years' and 'didn't get a fair trial.' 'We hope he exercises that power in a right and just way,' he said. Mr Trump, who is currently in Scotland, told reporters he 'doesn't know anything about the conversation' between Mr Blanche and Maxwell and said, 'I haven't really been following it.' He also dismissed the idea of pardons, stating, 'This is no time to be talking about pardons,' though earlier he said he 'hasn't thought' about the matter. Previously, the Department of Justice expressed doubts about Maxwell's honesty, pointing to a 'significant pattern of dishonest conduct' and a failure to take responsibility. Court filings revealed prosecutors never seriously considered a plea deal with her following Epstein's death in 2019, which was ruled a suicide while he awaited federal trial on sex trafficking charges. According to Mr Markus, attorneys for Epstein had been informed that 'no potential co-conspirators would be prosecuted' as part of negotiations following his arrest in July 2019. He added, 'I don't think President Trump knows that the Justice Department took the position that that promise should not be upheld.' Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi had promised to release federal investigative files related to Epstein, including a so-called 'client list,' but a DOJ memo later stated there was 'no credible evidence' of such a list or of blackmail involving prominent individuals. The memo affirmed, 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.' Epstein's circle included influential figures such as former President Bill Clinton, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, and Mr Trump himself, who reportedly banned Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club after a 2004 incident. A Quinnipiac University poll conducted earlier this month indicated most Americans disapprove of the Trump administration's management of the DOJ's Epstein investigation. Maxwell has also been subpoenaed to testify before the House Oversight Committee on August 11, where she may invoke her Fifth Amendment rights. 'We have to make a decision about whether she would do that or not,' said her attorney regarding the possibility of lawmaker questioning.
