before i rush headlong back into my friday afternoon pile o’ deadlines.

Macklin’s office sent out a gleeful announcement of ALP success on Wednesday, saying they had agreement from 16 town camps to the houses-for-rights swap. The “win” was reported enthusiastically in the oz (sorry, that’s ‘the squalid, violent, overcrowded newspaper The Australian’) and elsewhere. Hmm, seems to be premature, since there is a court injunction out against the deal.

“It emerged yesterday that the leases had not yet been signed.” Emerged from no less a source than careful reading of the original press release. And they say journalism is dead.

here‘s a piece from NIT giving details of the injunction

And the following is from ANTaR:

Professor James Anaya, United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur, will be visiting Australia during the second half of August.

After his visit, he will be providing the UN Human Rights Council with a report on his assessment of human rights in Australia. The Australian government will be expected to respond.

This is a unique opportunity for us to highlight our concerns about the government’s treatment of Aboriginal Australians in the Northern Territory.

Our government is now planning to reinstate the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory, but not in a way that will comply with human rights principles. Their intention is to impose ‘special measures’ on Aboriginal people living in the 73 prescribed areas of the Northern Territory.

http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/29768.html