Corruption at the highest levels

If the Voice goes ahead, it will have devastating consequences for Aboriginal people and for the broarder Australian community. 

The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) was well placed to run a National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force (NIITF). It is the only criminal intelligence agency with the national footprint and access to specialised capabilities, such as coercive powers to collect, analyse and provide information regarding abuse of power, child abuse and other crimes affecting Indigenous communities.The Indigenous Intelligence Task Force 2007 to 2014 visited 145 Indigenous communities, 58 regional towns and held almost 2000 stakeholder meetings. It found widespread abuse of power and connections with organised crime within the organisational web of Aboriginal Australia. Individuals in positions of authority have engaged in child abuse, violence, fraud and the distribution of alcohol and illicit substances.[1]… Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals linked to these groups have been identified in drug trafficking and financial criminal activities in regional and remote communities.[2]

I have more than 20 years experience on the ground and have worked as a Crown Prosecutor. I often found fake Aboriginal people holding the power in Aboriginal communities and using fear, intimidation tactics and applying double standards.The ACC in depth investigation in Aboriginal communities focused on the causes, particularly the way crime had been allowed to flourish. Some of its conclusions have been classified as sensitive and 65 of the 66 reports have never been made public. It found financial crimes and exploitation of Indigenous organisations occurred in every jurisdiction and was likely to increase in remote communities which were particularly vulnerable. It also found there were incentives for organised crime groups to exploit Indigenous organisations which was likely to remain high because it was correlated with real and/or perceived low risk of detection. Some executive officers of Indigenous corporations were found to have been bribed, had influenced Board members and exploitation of payments from mining royalties and Indigenous Land Use Agreements within Native Title were likely to continue[3]. 

Indigenous program funding is significant and also vulnerable to financial crime and exploitation. It is considered government expenditure in Indigenous communities is approximately $33 billion each year and remoteness has been said to allow offenders to seek employment with other organisations after their criminal activity and exploitation has been detected. This behaviour is often facilitated by the reluctance of some community Board members to make complaints and/or cooperate with regulatory authorities and/or these authorities fail to act.The latest Productivity Commission report written in 2015 reveals direct government spending on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is estimated to be $33.4 billion, which amounts to $44,886 for each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, compared to $22,356 each for non-Indigenous Australians. These figures will likely increase in 2021.

It also found some Indigenous corporations continue to be exploited by Board members wishing to advance personal, family and/or group interests. These members pressure office holders to approve programs and/or policies and often, not for the benefit of the organisation and/or community. Office holders face pressure to submit to the authority of the Board or face employment termination. None of these concerns have been addressed and the people running these organisations have not been held accountable and many have been the stakeholders in agreeing to the Voice. Before I was removed from the WyattSenior Advisory Committee, I was aware that many people involved in the Uluru Statement were accused of being involved in serious criminal offences, so I requested a Crimes Commission and AFP briefing from  the Co-Chair, Marcia Langton. Ms Langton not only denied it she threatened to remove me [4]. 

[1] Australian Crime Commission’s (ACC) National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force (NIITF), ‘The Final Report Of The National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force 2006-2014’, p 16
[2] Ibid p.22
[3] Ibid

[4] See below correspondence

From: Josephine Cashman
Date: Monday, 18 November 2019 at 19:18
To: Marcia Langton
Cc: Ken Wyatt1 "Lomas, Jarrod"
Subject: Seeking a briefing from the Crime Commission and AFP Commissioners Dear Marcia, As discussed I am seeking a briefing from the Crime Commission and AFP Commissioners ASAP. The senior advisory group should have the opportunity to speak to them. For my safety I am seeking a private meeting so I may speak frankly about matters subject to investigations involving leaders of the Uluru Statement movement. I am concerned about organised crime networks operating in Aboriginal communities and often run by leaders of powerful 

Aboriginal community organisations. Unless this abuse of power is addressed, the voice process cannot work and I will not be able to support it.   There is a risk the voice may give more power for criminals and increase their cult like behaviour. Informing the community the government hates them and no one cares about them is being used to silence communities. 

The continued distribution of large quantities of the drug ice and the support given to abusers of children is not acceptable. I have considered possible solutions and wish to test them against the formal operational advice we receive.  

Regards   

Josephine