Thousands marched across the nation today to mark 26 January as a day of mourning and invasion.
But protesters expressed differing views on the Indigenous voice to parliament, with Greens senator Lidia Thorpe insisting on a “treaty before the voice”. Thorpe told Guardian Australia at a large rally in Melbourne that “I have not got a guarantee [from Labor] that our sovereignty will not be ceded [if an Indigenous voice to parliament proceeds].”
Constitutional law experts say the voice will “have no impact on sovereignty”. “They’re like ships passing in the night,” says George Williams, the dean of the University of New South Wales law school.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, responded to Thorpe’s anti-voice sentiment by saying he was “not going to engage in that sort of partisan politics”, adding that an Indigenous voice “will improve our country, improve our national unity”.
Top news
Thorpe’s position criticised | Senior Australian of the Year and co-chair of the Indigenous voice co-design group, Tom Calma, says he is “disappointed” Thorpe may oppose the voice. “It’s important that we as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have an opportunity to be able to contribute to policies that impact us, and programs and legislation – and that’s the first step,” he said.
Missing Gold Coast woman a possible homicide | The search for 61-year-old Wendy Sleeman is “transitioning … to a suspected homicide”, police say, but investigators remain hopeful she is still alive. Her 30-year-old son, Slade Murdok, was today charged with a string of domestic violence-related offences, including kidnapping, assault and burglary.
NSW fugitive found in Darwin yacht | One of NSW’s most-wanted men, reportedly 32-year-old Mark Horne, has been found hiding in the hull of a yacht in Darwin. A nationwide manhunt started in October last year after he allegedly skipped bail. Horne was due to face trial in NSW for allegedly being involved in the shooting of a truck driver and theft of $550,000 in the Blue Mountains in September 2020.
Slowing memory decline | A combination of healthy lifestyle choices such as eating well, regularly exercising, playing cards and socialising at least twice a week may help slow the rate of memory decline and reduce the risk of dementia, a decade-long study suggests.
Netflix password sharing fee | The streaming giant will crack down on password sharing in coming months and is likely to charge an additional fee to share a single subscription across multiple locations.
Adani Group firms lose US$9bn in value | Shares in listed companies tied to Adani’s empire Adani Group lost US$9.4bn in market value after short seller investment firm Hindenburg Research published a detailed investigation into accusations of “brazen stock manipulation”, “accounting fraud” and “money laundering.”
Trump’s Facebook and Instagram ban to be lifted | Meta will allow Trump to return “in coming weeks” but “with new guardrails in place to deter repeat offences”, Meta’s president of global affairs Nick Clegg wrote in a blogpost explaining the decision.
Pope opposed to anti-gay laws | Pope Francis has criticised laws that criminalise homosexuality as “unjust”, saying God loves all his children just as they are, and calling on Catholic bishops who support the laws to welcome LGBTQ+ people into the church. “Being homosexual isn’t a crime,” Francis said.
What they said …
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“We ought to be proud of our country at some point in a united way. And whether it’s the 26th of January or another day, that’s something that our country has to mature and grow towards.” – Malarndirri McCarthy, the assistant minister for Indigenous affairs
In numbers
And they’ve been mapped here.
In pictures
See our photo gallery of Invasion Day rallies across the nation. The above image was taken in Brisbane, where elder Carly Rose confronted a police officer.
Before bed read
Wesley Enoch, a Quandamooka man from Minjerribah in Queensland and one of Australia’s most renowned playwrights and artistic directors, has written on the importance of 26 January as a day of mourning and why an Indigenous voice is essential.
“I’m not into changing the date. I’m into changing the country. Change the country first. Don’t change the date and think that you’ve solved it.”
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