AUSTRALIA - RACISM: THE EVENING POST, PACNEWS ED-2, AUG 30 1993
Outspoken Sydney magistrate Pat O'Shane believes racism among police and
fellow judges is the reason so many Aborigines are sent to jail.
Ms O'Shane, an Aboriginal judge renowned for taking a hard line in
support of women's rights, made a scathing attack on the government and
Aboriginal organisations for not properly addressing the issue of
reforms and development.
She said she could not find words strong enough to condemn the lack of
commitment of the government to dealing with Aboriginal and Islander
problems.
She claimed the government had "no intention" to rectifying Aboriginal
disadvantages in health, housing, employment and education.
Ms O'Shane said "The high incarceration rates of Aborigines are the
direct result of racism in the community generally, but most
particularly in the police forces and the judiciary."
The judge also attacked the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Commision (ATSIC), a self-management organisation with a budget
estimated at more than 680-million US dollars a year, saying its
performance was "abysmal" and "scandalous".
Ms O'Shane said it was scandalous that Aborigines and Islanders should
suffer deteriorating socio-economic conditions against that financial
background. ..ends.