It was only a month ago that Senior Crown Prosecutor, Doctor Nanette Rogers gave details about the systemic violence and abuse women and children of remote Indigenous communities are subject to. Since then a rigorous debate has ensued. Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough weighed in with his own extraordinary assertion that tribal law was protecting paedophiles in Indigenous communities. And last night the ABC’s Lateline program aired a story on the Mutijulu community of central Australia, detailing a malignant threat to the safety and innocence of its children among “petrol warlords” and “drug dealers”. The author of that report, Suzanne Smith talked to the Wire.

Monday night’s Four Corners program aired allegations that East Timorese Prime Minister MARI ALKATIRI hired death squads to hunt down and kill his political opponents. Following pressure from East Timor’s President XANANA GUSMAO, ALKATIRI was widely expected to resign today—but the nation is still waiting to see what will happen. Dili-based human rights campaigner TOMAS FREITAS spoke to ANDREW LIBERTS about today’s developments…

Senate Committees examine government policy, make changes to legislation and ultimately hold the government accountable. The Howard Government has announced a plan to cut Senate Committees from 16 to 10, back to similar circumstances pre-1994. If the move goes through, all committes will also be headed by Coallition Senators, causing concern the government may avoid scrutiny. Greg Barns is a political commentator and former advisor to the Howard government.

The federal government last night failed to win over a group of backbenchers with its proposed changes to its controversial Migration Bill. Debates on the changes to the Bill, which would see all unauthorised boat arrivals to be processed offshore, will now have to wait until after Parliament’s winter break. And despite the government’s proposed changes, which would include residential accommodation for women and children, people, including Democrats Senator Andrew Bartlett, say expanding offshore detention centres in Nauru could create Australia’s own version of Guantanamo Bay. The Wire also spoke to refugee lawyer David Mann and West Papuan refugee, Herman Wainggai, about the situation.

The Tasmanian Devil has long been on the endangered list and now its cartoon cousin has been enlisted to help its cause. Warner Brothers will use plush toys of its well known character TAZ to raise awareness and funds for the suffering Tasmanian Devil. Tasmania’s Minister for the Environment, Paula Wriedt, told Peter Godfrey why the Tassie Devil was under the threat of extinction.