Adjudication No. 274 (April 1986) [1986] APC 10

ADJUDICATION No. 274 (April 1986)

The Ethnic Affairs Commission of New South Wales has complained about articles in the Wellington Voice, a publication in western N S W, in the October 9-15 edition.

Despite two reminders, the editor of the publication has responded only in the briefest way.

The Press Council can understand this failure - the behaviour of the publication is indefensible.

Articles provided by the Ethnic Affairs Commission contain references to "black trash", to reminders to "our black brethren that as long as you take the white man's social security money then you obey white man's law or get the hell out of here and go up to the Pilbara to live", to sweeping claims that "poor white people are worse off than an Aboriginal", and to the report that "The Aboriginal race, as a whole, faces extinction if the AIDS virus takes hold".

These constitute a litany of insulting and intemperate language, inaccurate reporting, and gross and unsubstantiated generalisations about Aboriginal people.

The publication is a disgrace.