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“There is no excuse for what I saw”: Stan Grant calls on the ABC to do better

<p>Stan Grant, host of the ABC’s <em>Q+A</em>, has condemned his own network for its lack of diversity during its NSW election coverage. </p> <p>Grant, a Wiradjuri man, wrote a letter to ABC’s managing director David Anderson asking “in 2023, how is it at all acceptable that an election night coverage features an entire white panel?” </p> <p>In the letter, which <em>Crikey </em>shared portions of, Grant stressed that he was not criticising his “well qualified” colleagues for featuring on the panel, but instead that he was tired of how the ABC had “nurtured and promoted white staff at the exclusion of others”.</p> <p>The panel in question was led by David Speers and Sarah Ferguson, with NSW treasurer Matt Kean and Labor frontbencher Penny Sharpe joining them. ABC’s coverage also saw state political reporter Ashleigh Raper, Jeremy Fernandez (who is Malaysian-born), and other reporters across key electorates. </p> <p>However, Grant was far from pleased with the “cameo” roles given to the journalists of colour - despite Fernandez in particular appearing in the network’s promotional material - stating that “the fact that any journalists of colour in our coverage were ‘off Broadway’ in support roles, reporting from the suburbs, only adds to the insult.”</p> <p>“There is no excuse for what I saw on air last night,” he said. </p> <p>“None. I have worked at organisations around the world and nowhere would what we presented last night be tolerated.”</p> <p>Grant called on the ABC to “do better”, and admitted keeping them honest feels like a responsibility on his shoulders. But as he explained in his letter, he doesn’t do any of it for himself. </p> <p>“I have had my career,” he wrote, “but I don’t want to wait another decade for things to change.” </p> <p>According to <em>The Guardian</em>, the ABC’s news director Justin Stevens has responded to Grant’s honest take, stating that “ABC News takes on board any criticism and welcomes constructive discussion.” </p> <p>Stevens went on to note that he agreed with Grant that the network is “not yet where we want to be”, before sharing a series of recent appointments within the ABC. </p> <p>“We will continue to do all we can to elevate the work of Indigenous employees and ensure our coverage and workforce are truly representative of Australia,” he said. </p> <p>“We respect Stan enormously. For decades he has been one of the highest-profile First Nations journalists in this country and with that he has carried the burden of fighting for the advancement of his First Nations and culturally diverse colleagues.</p> <p>“That responsibility is on all of us to carry at the ABC and not him alone.”</p> <p><em>Images: Q+A / Youtube</em></p>

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Peppa Pig has introduced a pair of lesbian polar bears, but Aussie kids’ TV has been leading the way in queer representation

<p>Peppa Pig’s first same-sex couple, a pair of lesbian polar bears, were recently introduced after <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/sep/08/peppa-pig-introduces-its-first-same-sex-couple" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a petition to include a same-sex family</a> received nearly 24,000 signatures.</p> <p>Children’s television has often been a place to push the boundaries of diverse representations onscreen. In particular, Australian children’s TV has been a global leader in screen diversity, including gender and queer representation.</p> <p>Emmy-winning Australian series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10614090/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Day</a> (2020-22) tells the story of a transgender girl starting high school.</p> <p>Another Emmy-winner, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8747140/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hardball</a> (2019-21) includes gay dads for one of the lead characters.</p> <p>Even recent updates to The Wiggles’ line-up has placed a greater emphasis on gender diversity, including <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/the-wiggles-announces-four-new-band-members-with-focus-on-diversity-gender-equality/news-story/dbc914965a83332c857e7665b3639ba0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adding a non-binary unicorn</a>.</p> <h2>Diverse representation</h2> <p>Children’s TV is often less risk averse than programming aimed at adults.</p> <p>The ABC is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1329878X16687400" target="_blank" rel="noopener">empowered</a> to take risks with representations of gender and sexuality in children’s programming because of its publicly funded role.</p> <p>But such progressive portrayals can sometimes chafe with outdated expectations of children’s television. In 2004, Play School <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07380560802314128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced controversy</a> for showing lesbian mothers.</p> <p>As social acceptance has progressed, Australian children’s TV has been able to achieve more queer representations.</p> <p>Talking to the Queering Australian Screens <a href="https://djomeara.com/phd-research/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research project</a>, television professionals often praised the genre for its openness to new ideas, representations and bringing in new talent.</p> <p>Tony Ayres, Creator of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nowhere_Boys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nowhere Boys</a> (2013-18), observed those who commission children’s TV are “generally very open to diverse representation”.</p> <p>This representation happens behind the scenes, too, with Ayres describing how these shows often give new talent their first credit.</p> <p>David Hannam, who has written for several kids’ TV shows including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dance_Academy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dance Academy</a> (2010-13), said children’s television “has led the way”.</p> <p>Speaking of his time at the Australian Children’s Television Foundation, Hannam noted the foundation had an “almost charter responsibility” to show diversity on screen, “with great caution and responsibility”.</p> <p>Julie Kalceff created First Day, which starred a young trans actor, Evie McDonald, as a trans girl starting high school.</p> <p>When she was developing the show, Kalceff shared that she was initially concerned about what would be allowed on children’s TV:</p> <p>There were no trans people on television. There were no TV shows with trans actors in the lead role. I thought there’s no way the ABC is going to do this. And there’s no way they’re going to do it with kids’ TV. But to their credit, the ABC was so supportive, and was so behind the project from the beginning.</p> <h2>What audiences want</h2> <p>It is not only TV producers who are eager to widen representation in children’s television. Audiences are also seeking out more inclusive content.</p> <p>Just like Peppa Pig in the UK, there have been calls in Australia for more diversity in animated hit Bluey, with the show adding its <a href="https://10play.com.au/theproject/articles/bluey-introduces-first-auslan-signing-character-in-a-new-special-episode/tpa220616bswgm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first Auslan signing character</a> in June.</p> <p>One of our research projects, Australian Children’s Television Cultures’ <a href="https://www.swinburne.edu.au/news/2022/05/new-research-shows-the-way-families-watch-TV-is-changing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 survey</a> found 90% of Australian parents believe diverse representation is an important element of children’s TV.</p> <p>As one father explained:</p> <blockquote> <p>Diversity on screen helps children learn about people with different upbringings from their own, expanding their empathy for and curiosity about other people.</p> </blockquote> <p>In contrast to the controversy Play School received nearly 20 years ago for its inclusion of same-sex parents, a mother praised the show for “doing a fantastic job” of depicting diversity in relationships.</p> <p>Not everyone believes Australian television is doing enough. One survey respondent praised the way shows like Bluey reflect Australian culture, but said he would “love to see more LGBT representation […] It would be nice as a kid to know you’re valid.”</p> <h2>Uncertain futures</h2> <p>The streaming era has changed how families and children watch TV. This raises concerns about the future of Australian children’s content.</p> <p>The recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/cheese-n-crackers-concerns-deepen-for-the-future-of-australian-childrens-television-147183" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removal of quotas</a> for Australian networks to air a minimum number of hours of children’s television, alongside the absence of quotas on streaming services, has led to <a href="https://tvtonight.com.au/2022/09/producers-slam-hypocritical-networks-as-australian-childrens-tv-plummets.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a reduction</a> in the production of local kids’ TV.</p> <p>From Play School to Bluey, children’s TV has reflected the richness of Australian cultural life. There is a risk that if Australian child audiences need to rely on international content, future generations will not see themselves on screen.</p> <p>With the loss of local voices, Australian kids’ TV may also lose its ability to push boundaries of diversity and inclusion.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/peppa-pig-has-introduced-a-pair-of-lesbian-polar-bears-but-aussie-kids-tv-has-been-leading-the-way-in-queer-representation-190648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Peppa Pig</em></p>

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Five Australian flag designs kick off hot debate

<p>A TikTok user has reignited the passionate debate over the design of the Australian flag. </p> <p>Jack Toohey, who shares videos as @fleetwood_jack, posted a clip that showcased five alternate designs that have been offered up in recent years as an alternative to the current flag. </p> <p>He shares images of each flag's design, as well as details on what they represent and who came up with them originally. </p> <p>The current Australian flag features <span>the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star and the Southern Cross.</span></p> <p>However, there have been many calls over the years to include First Nation Australians and Indigenous elements to the country's flag. </p> <p>The five designs Jack shares in his video are <span>The Reconciliation Flag, the Down Under Flag, the Sunburnt Flag, the Golden Wattle flag and John Joseph’s Untitled Flag.</span></p> <p>The Reconciliation Flag was designed in 2013 by John Blaxland and incorporates the Southern Cross and a seven-point Commonwealth <span>Star with dots representing 150 Indigenous and migrant languages spoken in Australia.</span></p> <p>This design is the closest to the current flag, but also acknowledges Indigenous Australians, with a red boomerang being pictured in a fragment of the Union Jack. </p> <p>The Down Under Flag was designed in 1986 by <span>Friedensrich Hundertwasser and features a red semi-circle on top of a blue background with the seven-point Commonwealth star. </span></p> <p><span>It is meant to represent Uluru upside down - a play of the notion of a “land down under.”</span></p> <p><span>The Untitled Flag was created in 2006 by John Jospeh, and replaces the Union Jack with a circular Indigenous painting. </span></p> <p><span>The Sunburnt Flag was designed in 1988 by Stephen Berry and takes inspiration from the famous Dorothea McKellar poem “My Country,” which contains the phrase, “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains ...”</span></p> <p><span>The design features a red base and yellow sunrise, as seen on the current Aboriginal flag, as well as a blue sky and the Southern Cross. </span></p> <p><span>The Golden Wattle flag was designed in 2015 by Jeremy Matthews, and draws inspiration from the country's native flower. </span></p> <p><span>The seven points of the Commonwealth Star in the middle of the wattle point refer to the individual states and territories that make up Australia.</span></p> <p><span>While some of Jack Toohey's TikTok followers thought our current flag was just fine, most commenters agreed it was time for a change that included representation for </span>Indigenous Australians. </p> <p><span>Many felt that a modern Australian flag should reference both Indigenous history and culture, and reference to Australia’s colonial history.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock/TikTok @fleetwood_jack</em></p>

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Advance Australia Fair: Major changes to Australian anthem

<p>It is over 140 years old, but for the first time, national anthem Advance Australia Fair has been rewritten to include the experiences of Indigenous Australians. </p> <p>The new lyrics were performed on the opening night of the annual Desert Song Festival in Alice Springs on Friday. </p> <p>The anthem has been tweaked by Recognition in Anthem, a group of Australians who hope the changes to the song will become official. </p> <p>Martin Haskett, who is a committee member told the ABC news the rewrite was made to “facilitate reconciliation”. </p> <p>"Our current anthem doesn't recognise Indigenous people of this country — the ambition was to create something that spoke to everyone in Australia," Mr Haskett said.</p> <p>The new version will celebrate and acknowledge Aboriginals who have existed and lived in Australia for 60,000 years. </p> <p>The line “for we are young and free,” has been tweaked to “for we are one and free”. </p> <p>Mr Haskett said he wanted the new lyrics to “resonate with people”.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.3953488372093px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7830545/australian-anthem-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f4958313a63b48ff823b8d0f13a58291" /></p> <p>"That acceptance in the Aboriginal community shows that it has a future," he said.The performance comes after half of the Indigenous team refused to sing the national anthem before the start of their NRL game against the Indigenous All Stars and Maori All Stars. </p> <p>Blake Ferguson, Latrell Mitchell and skipper Cody Walker were the team members who chose to remain silent, while the song was being played. </p> <p>All six Indigenous footy players refused to sing the anthem during game two of the State of Origin this year. </p> <p>Maroon's fullback Kalyn Ponga, centre Dane Gagai, second-row Josh Papalii and centre Will Chambers didn’t sing the song in protest.</p> <p>Blues centre Blake Ferguson and wing Josh Addo-Carr also followed suit.</p> <p>The players’ protest comes amid claims Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker lost their spots in the NSW Blues for refusing to sing the anthem in the first game of the series. </p> <p>Aboriginal boxing champion Anthony Mundine has also chose not to stand and sing the national anthem, which he believes is for “white supremacists”.</p>

Domestic Travel

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The 14 Indigenous words for money on our new 50 cent coin

<p>When you rifle around in your purse for some change soon, you might be lucky enough to pull out a new 50 cent coin, launched today by the<span> </span><a href="https://www.ramint.gov.au/">Royal Australian Mint</a><span> </span>to celebrate the<span> </span><a href="https://en.iyil2019.org/">International Year of Indigenous Languages</a>.</p> <p>The coin, developed in consultation with Indigenous language custodian groups and designed by the Mint’s Aleksandra Stokic, features 14 different words for “money” from Australian Indigenous languages. But where do these words come from?</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwA1eaVoz5-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BwA1eaVoz5-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Royal Australian Mint (@royalaustmint)</a> on Apr 8, 2019 at 4:30pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p><strong>Old words for new things</strong></p> <p>Money, or an object which abstractly represented the value of goods and services, did not exist in Australia before European colonisation. Trade occurred, but it was between items deemed to be of similar worth, for example, pearl shell, quartz, food or songs. With the entry of money into the Indigenous economy, new words were needed to refer to coins and later, notes.</p> <p>Most Indigenous words for money come from words for “stone”, “rock” or “pebble”, no doubt in reference to the size and shape of coins. On the new 50 cent coin, you’ll find words for “stone” from across Australia:</p> <ul> <li>from the Northern Territoy,<span> </span><em>wumara</em><span> </span>(from the<span> </span><a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Gurindji/">Gurindji</a><span> </span>language),<span> </span><em>wangarri</em>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warumungu_language">Warumungu</a>),<span> </span><em>gudaru</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alawa_language">Alawa</a>) and<span> </span><em>awarnda</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enindhilyagwa_language">Anindilyakwa</a>)</li> <li>from Western Australia,<span> </span><em>boya</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/sep/02/ngean-noonar-noongar-is-australias-first-indigenous-wikipedia-we-want-to-use-our-language">Nyungar</a>) and<span> </span><em>tjimari</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankunytjatjara_dialect">Yankunytjatjara</a>)</li> <li>and from Queensland,<span> </span><em>bakir</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meriam_people">Meriam</a>),<span> </span><em>mulu</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://www.yugambeh.com/language-resources">Yugambeh</a>) and<span> </span><em>nambal</em><span> </span>(<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guugu_Yimithirr_language">Guugu Yimithirr</a>).</li> </ul> <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaytetye_language">Kaytetye</a>, spoken in Central Australia, and<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaurna">Kaurna</a>, the language of Adelaide, go against the trend by extending the words<span> </span><em>ngkweltye</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>pirrki</em><span> </span>(which both mean “piece”), to also mean “money”.</p> <p><a href="http://muurrbay.org.au/languages/gathang/">Gathang</a>, from the Central New South Wales coast, uses<span> </span><em>dhinggarr</em><span> </span>“grey”, perhaps due to the colour of most coins, and<span> </span><em>walang</em><span> </span>“head”, presumably in reference to the monarch’s head on the coin.<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiradjuri">Wiradjuri</a>, from the same area, also uses<span> </span><em>walang</em>, but in this case it means “stone”.</p> <p><strong>Other words for 'money' from Indigenous languages</strong></p> <p>The diversity of Indigenous words for money on the new coin is an attempt to reflect the linguistic tapestry of Australia, a nation of over 300 languages and many more dialects. However, the words on the coin are just a small sample of Indigenous terms for money.</p> <p>Some languages differentiate between coins and paper money.<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murrinh-patha_language">Murrinh-patha</a>, spoken in the Daly River region of the Northern Territory, uses<span> </span><em>palyirr</em><span> </span>“stone” for coins and<span> </span><em>we</em>“paperbark” to mean notes.</p> <p>Other languages have words that vary by denomination.<span> </span><a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Alyawarr/index-english/index.htm">Alyawarr</a>, spoken just north of Alice Springs, uses<span> </span><em>aherr-angketyarr</em><span> </span>“lots of kangaroos” to refer to the A$1 coin, and<span> </span><em>rnter-rnter</em><span> </span>“red” in reference to $20 notes.</p> <p>Alyawarr people also say<span> </span><em>kwert-apeny</em><span> </span>“like smoke” for $100 notes. This is perhaps confusing at first, until you recall the original light blue and grey<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_one_hundred-dollar_note">$100 note (1984-1996) depicting Sir Douglas Mawson</a>.</p> <p><strong>Borrowed words for money</strong></p> <p>In some cases, terms for money have been borrowed from other languages. The English word “money” has been given a local flavour by different languages, for example:<span> </span><em>mani/moni</em>(<a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Kriol/lexicon/index.htm">Kriol</a>) and<span> </span><em>maniyi</em><span> </span>or<span> </span><em>tala</em><span> </span>(<a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Warlpiri/lexicon/index.htm">Warlpiri</a>).</p> <p>Another borrowing comes from Australia’s close neighbours. The legacy of 18th century<span> </span><a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/trade-with-the-makasar">Macassan traders</a><span> </span>from present-day Indonesia remains in words for “money” originally derived from<span> </span><em>rupiah</em><span> </span>(Indonesia’s word for currency). These include<span> </span><em>rrupiya</em><span> </span>(<a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Maung/lexicon/index.htm">Mawng</a>,<span> </span><a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Burarra/index-english/main.htm">Burarra</a>,<span> </span><a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Djinang/lexicon/index.htm">Djinang</a>) and<span> </span><em>wurrupiya</em><span> </span>(<a href="http://ausil.org/Dictionary/Tiwi/lexicon/main.htm">Tiwi</a>). (And note that Tiwi also uses<span> </span><em>wurrukwati</em><span> </span>“mussel shell” for “money”).</p> <p>Probably the most innovative borrowing for money, still used throughout south-western Queensland, is<span> </span><em>banggu</em>. The word derives from<span> </span><em>bank</em><span> </span>and<span> </span><em>–gu</em>, the latter being used to express ownership. So<span> </span><em>banggu</em><span> </span>literally means “of the bank”, and perhaps emerged during the period in Queensland history when the state government was withholding wages from Indigenous people. These stolen wages are now thought to be worth as much as<span> </span><a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Legal_and_Constitutional_Affairs/Completed_inquiries/2004-07/stolen_wages/report/index">A$500 million</a><span> </span>in<span> </span><em>banggu</em>.</p> <p><strong>Indigenous representation on Australian currency</strong></p> <p>Indigenous Australians have not always been well represented on Australian currency. Take the bark painting by David Malangi on the back of the old $1 note released in 1966,<span> </span><a href="https://theconversation.com/dollar-dave-and-the-reserve-bank-a-tale-of-art-theft-and-human-rights-56593">which was used without consent or acknowledgement</a>, or the<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_ten-dollar_note">first polymer $10 note</a>, released in 1988, which featured an anonymous Indigenous man painted up for ceremony.</p> <p>Contrast this to 1995, when the Indigenous man on the $50 note was named as the first published Indigenous author, Ngarrindjeri writer<span> </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Unaipon">David Unaipon</a>, or 2017 when<span> </span><a href="https://www.ramint.gov.au/publications/new-coin-designed-boneta-marie-mabo-released-circulation-national-reconciliation-week">a commemorative 50 cent coin</a><span> </span>was designed by Boneta-Marie Mabo and released for National Reconciliation Week.</p> <p>The use of multiple words for money on the new coin challenges the myth of a single Australian language. It also represents a shift to naming and individuation: from depicting Australian Indigenous people and their languages as a single group, to recognising the diversity of these groups and their languages.</p> <p><em>Written by Felicity Meakins and Michael Walsh. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-14-indigenous-words-for-money-on-our-new-50-cent-coin-113110">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

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