Latest news with #MarionScrymgour
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Labor MP Marion Scrymgour calls for leadership over black deaths in custody
Northern Territory MP Marion Scrymgour has slammed the federal government and previous governments for "taking their eye off the ball" regarding Aboriginal deaths in custody. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family. Ms Scrymgour told ABC News Breakfast on Monday that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should consider addressing the issue, after Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White, 24, died after being restrained by NT Police officers on the floor of the Alice Springs Coles supermarket on May 27. "Aboriginal people are being completely ostracised and victimised, and people are dying," she told News Breakfast host Bridget Brennan. "The federal government I think needs to show the leadership." Mr White's grandfather, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, also spoke on News Breakfast, outlining what he would like to see from police and the government after his grandson's death. Ms Scrymgour called for a review and audit of the recommendations from the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, some of which are still outstanding decades later. Since the royal commission there have been about 597 First Nations deaths in custody, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology. "The federal government needs to have a look at all of those recommendations and certainly, as the federal member, I'll be talking to Minister Malarndirri McCarthy, the new Attorney-General Michelle Rowland and also [Home Affairs Minister] Tony Burke to have a look at where are we at with this," Ms Scrymgour said. Ms Scrymgour pointed to the 2018 Review of the implementation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, which found the 339 recommendations from the 1991 royal commission had not been completely implemented. A separate 2021 review by the Australian National University assessed that 78 per cent of recommendations had been fully or mostly implemented. "For the federal government, there needs to be an immediate review or have a look at where all of those recommendations are and to proceed accordingly," Ms Scrymgour said. "Our people are dying prematurely and that needs to be looked at." Mr White's family, along with several MPs, advocacy groups and the Central Land Council, have continued to call for NT Police to hand the criminal investigation over to a separate body. Thousands of protesters across the country supported those calls at the weekend. Mr White's family is also calling for the police officers involved in apprehending Mr White to be stood down while the investigation happens, and for all CCTV and body camera footage to be released to the family. NT Police has said two officers, who were not wearing uniforms, detained Mr White after an alleged altercation with a security guard who had accused him of shoplifting. NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst has denied the family's request to hand the investigation over to an independent body. He said he would lead the investigation and provide oversight along with NT Police's Professional Standards Command, pledging it would be "objective, professional and transparent". "Detectives have collected a considerable amount of evidence and the public can be assured that a full and thorough investigative report will be prepared for the coroner," he said. Warlpiri elder and Mr White's grandfather, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, told ABC News Breakfast on Monday he wanted to hear a meaningful apology from the NT Police. "You want to say sorry? You take the belt off, take your guns off," he told ABC News Breakfast. "We are devastated, we cannot keep living like this. "I would say this [to the police]: 'Get off our back … get off our back." Ms Scrymgour, who has called for the investigation into Mr White's death to be handled by the Australian Federal Police, said an independent investigation would help Aboriginal people feel confident with the process "without fear or favour".
The Guardian
6 days ago
- The Guardian
AFP should take over NT police investigation into Kumanjayi White's death, Labor MP says
An Albanese government MP based in Alice Springs has called for Australian federal police to take over the criminal investigation into the death of Kumanjayi White, an Aboriginal man who died last week after being restrained by Northern Territory police in the town's Coles supermarket. The 24-year-old Warlpiri man had disabilities and was living away from his community of Yuendumu in supported accommodation. Police alleged that he was shoplifting when plainclothes officers stepped in to assist the store's security guard. Marion Scrymgour, the member for Lingiari and one of four Indigenous MPs in the federal government, said appointing AFP detectives to investigate would enable the Yuendumu community to 'have full confidence in the process'. 'A criminal investigation is a job which only police can undertake, because at the end of the day it has to be a police decision to charge,' the Tiwi woman said on Wednesday. 'But it doesn't have to be NT police officers who undertake the task.' The news of White's death came as his community was bracing for the findings of an inquest into another death in custody, the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu, where the young men had grown up together. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email That coronial inquiry unearthed shocking racism within the NT force, including that the TRG elite group, now disbanded, bestowed a racist mock award known as the 'Coon of the Year' on the officer who behaved 'most like an Aboriginal'. Scrymgour said Aboriginal people in the NT had been 'shaken' by the revelations. 'Trust is a fragile thing and the coronial inquiry evidence is too recent and too jarring for it not to have consequences and implications for what is now playing out in Alice Springs in the aftermath of yet another tragic death,' she said. Many of the officers involved in the Walker investigation and coronial process had experienced 'ostracism' and 'resentment amongst others from within the NT Police', she added 'Having detectives from the AFP take over and complete the investigation which has recently been commenced would both extract NT detectives from a role which would inevitably subject them to scrutiny and criticism, and would enable the Yuendumu community to have full confidence in the process going forward,' Scrymgour said. Lawyers for White's family wrote to police on Friday requesting they 'appoint an independent body from another state or territory to undertake … investigations in a culturally safe manner'. Police 'respectfully' rejected the request. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The family's calls have been back by several organisations, including the Central Land Council, which urged the federal government to withhold funding from the NT government until the demand was met. 'We don't trust this government and its police force to keep us safe,' said the CLC chair, Warren Williams, who is also White's uncle. On Thursday NT police said the coronial investigation had been paused while a criminal investigation was undertaken to determine whether any criminality was involved. Rallies are planned in major cities across this country this weekend as pressure over who will handle the investigation intensifies. This week marks five years since similar protests swept the nation as part of the global Black Lives Matter movement, calling for an end to Indigenous deaths in police and prison custody. The protests were sparked by the murder of George Floyd, a black man who died after being restrained in the prone position by police in the US. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
ABC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Marion Scrymgour calls out racist comment at Katherine pre-polling booth
The Member for Lingiari has filed a complaint after a racist incident at a Katherine pre-polling booth. Labor's Marion Scrymgour said a voter approached her at the voting site and spoke to her about "To have a male, a man point his finger to my chest and say … a black boy had killed a man in Nightcliff, 'You're black, so what are you going to do about it?'," she said. "I wasn't going to put up with the bullying and the intimidation and the racism … there's no room for this in the Northern Territory, we've got greater issues that we've got to deal with." Labor's Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour. ( ABC News: Michael Franchi ) An Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) spokesperson said it had received Ms Scrymgour's complaint and that staff had reminded all campaigners they needed to be respectful, otherwise the police would be called. "As a reminder, the AEC is not the police and we have no ability to regulate behaviour that occurs outside of a polling place," the spokesperson said. Claim of brethren in Katherine Ms Scrymgour has also alleged "aggressive and intimidating" behaviour from members of a conservative Christian sect in a separate incident at the Katherine early voting centre. Ms Scrymgour said she had a "big barney" with members of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church, who she said were flown into the outback Northern Territory town before the federal election. "They were aggressive and intimidating … we had women who were terrified to go to the booth in Katherine," she said. Ms Scrymgour said the Brethren were campaigning for the CLP and were "aided by the Member for Katherine" Jo Hersey — a claim which Ms Hersey "strongly refutes". NT Minister Jo Hersey. ( ABC News: Xavier Martin ) Ms Scrymgour said about 40 of "The plane would pick them up at night after the booths were closed, and then they would be taken to Dugong Beach Resort on Groote Eyelandt," she said. Ms Scrymgour said she had put in a complaint to the AEC, but a spokesperson said it had not been received. "The AEC has not received a complaint about people being flown into communities," they said. "AEC staff have not, to our knowledge, documented any poor behaviour at any of the abovementioned polling places. "The AEC does not have authority over incidents that occurred outside of the 6-metre exclusion zone in front of the polling places, or outside of the polling place itself, other than to remind campaigners to behave respectfully." The AEC says it has no authority to regulate behaviour that occurs outside a polling place. ( Supplied: AEC ) A spokesperson from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church said they could not comment on "how many of our parishioners were volunteering, where, when or for whom, nor on how they travelled there, because we don't know, didn't organise it and certainly didn't pay for it". "We don't support any political parties, we don't tell our members to volunteer or not for political candidates," the spokesperson said. Photo shows A composite image of two people with blurred faces wearing blue Liberal Party t-shirts. Members of a secretive Christian sect are being given instructions on how to lie about their beliefs against voting in elections, in an apparent coordinated effort to campaign for the Liberal and National parties. "Our church is aware that many of our parishioners chose to volunteer for some candidates from various political parties at the last election, and that this volunteerism increased after their involvement started being criticised. "Over the course of the past week in particular, we saw parishioners being frequently photographed by media, called 'Exclusive Brethren' by others on polling booths, and taunted not only by keyboard warriors but even some candidates and sitting MPs. "As a general point, the church hopes its parishioners are respectful to everyone in the community at all times, and equally hopes that the same respect is offered to them at all times."
News.com.au
01-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Full list of NT polling booths, where to vote on election day 2025
Voters in the Northern Territory will head to the polls on May 3 for the 2025 federal election. Voting centres across the state will open at 8am and close at 6pm. It's shaping up to be a tight contest in the Northern Territory electorates of Lingiari and Solomon. Both seats are held by Labor with incumbents Marion Scrymgour (Lingiari) and Luke Gosling (Solomon) being challenged by a number of candidates. Voting is compulsory in Australia and polling booths are located across local schools, churches, community halls and public buildings. See the full list of polling booth locations below: Polling booths will open at 8am on Saturday, May 3 and close at 6pm sharp. IS VOTING COMPULSORY? Yes, voting is compulsory for Australian citizens over the age of 18. WHICH ELECTORATE AM I IN? Who you vote for on election day will depend on which federal electorate you are in. You can find out the electorate you are in by clicking here. WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES FOR SOLOMON AND LINGIARI? Click here for the full list of Solomon candidates. Click here for the full list of Lingiari candidates. WHERE TO FIND A DEMOCRACY SAUSAGE The democracy sausage is a voting tradition in Australia. Here are the polling booths that will have snags on the barbie this Saturday. WHO YOUR NEIGHBOURS VOTED FOR Find out what party won the first preference vote in every polling place across Australia between 2004 and 2022. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T VOTE? If you don't vote in a federal election, you will receive a letter from the Australian Electoral Commission.
ABC News
22-04-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Tiwi Islanders eager to have their say as remote voting for the federal election begins
It's approaching 35 degrees on Tuesday morning in Pirlangimpi on Melville Island, north of Darwin, as people begin to wander down to the local council building. A line winds out the door, and Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) staff offer instructions as they pass out ballot papers. It's the first day of early voting for the federal election, and this small, remote community on the Tiwi Islands is the AEC's first stop. Catch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on Home to about 250 registered voters, Pirlangimpi is one of the northernmost communities in the massive Northern Territory electorate of Lingiari. The seat is currently held by Labor's Marion Scrymgour, Pre-polling kicked off in Pirlangimpi on Tuesday as Australians prepare to have their say on the nation's future. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) Many of Pirlangimpi's about 250 registered voters were keen to cast their ballots early, ahead of election day on May 3. ( ABC News: Dane Hirst ) The seat – one of only two in the NT – extends from the Tiwi Islands all the way down to the South Australian border and takes in hundreds of remote Indigenous communities, each with their own priorities. According to locals casting their ballots on Tuesday, one of the biggest issues in Pirlangimpi is a lack of opportunities for young people. Ningle Galarla said he was voting for the "new, younger generation coming up". "They're all looking for jobs," he said. Ningle Galarla says many of the community's young people are struggling to find work. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) Paulina Jedda Puruntatameri said the lack of employment opportunities meant "young people here are idle" and mental health support was sorely needed. She said she didn't think politicians had a proper grasp of the issues people were facing. "We have a huge, high rate of suicides," she said. "We need our people to have access to counselling, we need people to come out and conduct workshops for our young people. "We need a women's refuge and a cooling-off centre for the men, but it hasn't happened". Paulina Jedda Puruntatameri wants to see better access to mental health support for the island's youth. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) For Dennis Murphy Tipakalippa, his priority is seeing government funding reach the ground — literally. "For us to get from here to Milikapiti and Wurrumiyanga, it's hard for us to travel because our roads are pretty terrible," he said. "We're still jumping up and down and hopefully the government will do something about it." Dennis Murphy Tipakalippa collects his ballot paper during early voting in Pirlangimpi. But locals also cited some issues that unite most Australians this election, with some Pirlangimpi residents saying they were keen to see grocery and fuel prices come down. "We got nowhere to go but [the] shop here … we need to travel to Darwin on the ferry to do shopping," Ms Puruntatameri said. Children size up incumbent Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour while the grown-ups cast their votes. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) Read more about the federal election: Want even more? Four-wheel drives, planes and helicopters Tuesday was one of two opportunities the people of Pirlangimpi will have to vote, as 70 AEC teams travel to 420 remote locations around the country — including about 200 in the Northern Territory — in coming weeks for their remote voting drive. The voter enrolment rate in the territory sits at about 93 per cent, but at last year's NT election, Jeff Pope says the AEC has done "a massive amount of work" to get more remote community residents on the electoral roll. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) Acting Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said there were several factors driving voter disengagement in remote communities. "Obviously getting people on the roll is the first step, and we've done a massive amount of work to get a record number of Indigenous electors on the roll," he said. But weather events and sorry business can also disrupt the AEC's work. "We're doing everything we can do around the factors that we can actually control, to try and address that," Mr Pope said. Cost-of-living pressures are front of mind for many Pirlangimpi residents this election. ( ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst ) Rolling out remote voting is a huge logistical challenge, and will require about 45 four-wheel drives, 20 charter flights and four helicopters to get to every corner of the territory over the next fortnight. Photo shows The Words ABC News Daily with the ABC Listen logo beside it. Blue and pale green striped background. Submit your election questions and tune in for a weekly explainer of the latest election news. Listen to ABC News Daily on ABC listen. But Australian Electoral Officer for the NT, Geoff Bloom, said it was all worth it to ensure remote residents had the opportunity to exercise their democratic right. "Two hundred locations is our starting point," he said. "It's really important we get out to those locations and provide that ability for people to cast their vote. We go to locations where we have 10 or more people on the roll. " It's an obligation, it's something that we're required to do, and we take it seriously. " Loading Having trouble seeing this form? Try
