WEBVTT - Preparing to March 0:00:02.680 --> 0:00:06.080 Just before nine o'clock last night, the jury returned guilty 0:00:06.160 --> 0:00:08.480 verdicts against all three defendants. 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:11.119 It was absolute shambles, to tell you the truth, just 0:00:11.200 --> 0:00:12.560 absolutely really honous. 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:14.920 Blood on his clothing the day after the alleged. 0:00:14.640 --> 0:00:17.520 Attap a shallow mud bank and it fits Roy River. Basically. 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:19.200 I think most of the people are used to me 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:20.600 are good people. 0:00:20.640 --> 0:00:23.280 I think a really important question we need to ask 0:00:23.480 --> 0:00:26.360 is how many Indigenous prisoners in Australia are innocent. 0:00:27.280 --> 0:00:29.880 This is Curtain, a podcast where we pulled back the 0:00:29.920 --> 0:00:32.440 blinds to shine a light on the darkest parts of 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:35.400 our justice system and ask who are the victims. 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:38.879 I'm Amy Maguire and I'm. 0:00:38.720 --> 0:00:43.040 Martin Hodgson, a senior advocate for the Foreign Prisoner Support Service. 0:00:43.400 --> 0:00:47.160 And a warning. This series contains the names of deceased 0:00:47.159 --> 0:00:51.680 peoples and has distressing content that might upset some listeners. 0:00:53.920 --> 0:00:57.520 This week, well this month actually has been a busy 0:00:57.520 --> 0:01:00.279 one in Rockhampton and me. 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:03.960 And Bega, But I'll tell you more about that very soon. 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:06.440 But first of. 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:09.320 All, let me tell you our listeners what's been going 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:12.240 on up and north in rock Campden. I did imagine 0:01:12.280 --> 0:01:14.600 him before then in April and a major of flood 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.880 washed through the Fitzroy River. It distructed a few plans 0:01:18.959 --> 0:01:22.080 because on April tenth, a few days after the flood, 0:01:22.560 --> 0:01:25.120 advocates to the cabin in Rock Campdens were planning on 0:01:25.200 --> 0:01:26.039 holding a rally. 0:01:26.600 --> 0:01:29.920 April ten marks the twenty fifth year of Kevin's conviction. 0:01:30.600 --> 0:01:31.240 To the date. 0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:35.920 To commemorate that date, many of Kevin's supporters, including his 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:40.839 main advocate Yasmin Johnson, were planning a rally for justice 0:01:40.880 --> 0:01:45.759 for him down at Tanubah House. Tanubah House was flooded, though, 0:01:46.200 --> 0:01:49.720 and so the date was changed to May first, So. 0:01:49.800 --> 0:01:53.200 This week the final preparations ran up for that rally. 0:01:53.920 --> 0:01:55.840 It has got only be held in this coming Monday 0:01:56.680 --> 0:01:59.760 and at the place where Linda tragically lost her life, 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:02.120 because it's not just a rally for the cavern, it's 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:07.080 also one for Lunda and zequ Coast Guard, which has 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:10.040 the office that would previously to move the house. As 0:02:10.120 --> 0:02:11.320 kindly that members of the. 0:02:11.240 --> 0:02:14.040 Aboriginal community used the area around. 0:02:13.880 --> 0:02:17.280 The building to host as an event. Earlier this week, 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:19.680 I went to the Wall to Read Building, a short 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.440 walk up the road from Tonuver House, where event organizers 0:02:23.520 --> 0:02:26.720 were painting banners to use in the rally as were 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:30.080 painted banners. We discussed many aspects of the case and 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:31.160 I found out something. 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:31.560 I didn't know. 0:02:32.400 --> 0:02:35.119 I'm not sure if many of our listeners have wondered 0:02:35.560 --> 0:02:38.480 that we found out where Kevin Henry got his nickname 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:39.519 Curtain from. 0:02:40.040 --> 0:02:42.800 Here's Yasin Johnson. I was speaking to haw Or. We 0:02:42.800 --> 0:02:44.440 were both slighted with light pain. 0:02:45.320 --> 0:02:49.240 Well we actually we're asking that. Yesterday My brother asked 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:53.079 him when he rang up and he said, I said, yeah, 0:02:53.080 --> 0:02:54.720 I want to know that answer to you, I said, 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:57.079 in the background we had him on lab speaker. He said, no, 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:01.200 when I'm one time he said, he said there was 0:03:01.240 --> 0:03:03.880 no blanket or something like that. Yeah, he said, he 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.440 just took the curtain off and wrapped up himself, roping 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:08.800 the curtain and when they will come mind, he was 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:10.720 up and they just called him curtain and stuck. 0:03:12.520 --> 0:03:13.240 He's stuck in. 0:03:15.240 --> 0:03:19.160 Yes by Dwayne matter Son of the Legendary after this 0:03:19.320 --> 0:03:22.040 form Matter I spake to him during one of the 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:22.800 down lines. 0:03:23.280 --> 0:03:27.640 Yeah, I suppose the reasons why Dwayne Mather here you go. 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:31.239 I want the crew here for the May Day rally 0:03:31.440 --> 0:03:33.959 for Kevin Henry, and what are we doing here tonight? 0:03:34.000 --> 0:03:35.280 Where are we and what are we doing? 0:03:35.960 --> 0:03:40.840 Walter Reed? Painting up a storm here, getting our message 0:03:40.880 --> 0:03:41.640 out across in. 0:03:41.920 --> 0:03:46.080 The in the banners and yeah, just just going over 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:50.720 it and sort of talking about the reasons why we're 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.720 here and how it's affected our lives. You know, it's 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:57.080 I suppose the similarities because the wall suffered injustice of 0:03:57.240 --> 0:03:59.120 some sort during our lives. 0:03:59.560 --> 0:04:01.720 So I I. 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:03.960 Read an article in the paper boy uh Amy you 0:04:04.760 --> 0:04:08.160 and yeah, that sort of got a FOI gy that 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:10.920 probably went in the guys who I've leaving in that 0:04:11.000 --> 0:04:12.760 cause dad was into was an activist. 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:14.840 He was back in the days of the tenement. See 0:04:14.840 --> 0:04:16.320 Bob Benza, Oh that's your dad. 0:04:16.839 --> 0:04:19.520 Yeah, And that sort of stuck with me. It's always 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:21.840 been there to be a part of something or being 0:04:21.880 --> 0:04:23.840 to rallies in Brisbane and Muskrat Park and. 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:26.840 All sort of stop. And it was the same thing, 0:04:27.200 --> 0:04:28.720 m real parting for change. 0:04:29.160 --> 0:04:31.839 Did you know much about Kevin's case before this? 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:36.200 Aw a little bit, But after I'd read that article 0:04:36.800 --> 0:04:38.680 that got in my eyes to the injustice and the 0:04:38.720 --> 0:04:41.960 cruelty and and everything that that was wrong with it. 0:04:42.880 --> 0:04:47.640 And it's to me it'spie for itself and uh, yeah, 0:04:48.200 --> 0:04:50.800 that helped me gone again. So I wanna be here 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:54.480 a part of this for to get him free. 0:04:54.480 --> 0:04:57.279 To make a change and describe for me some of 0:04:57.360 --> 0:05:01.800 the banners that are gonna be there on the day, Well. 0:05:01.720 --> 0:05:04.039 They're pretty full on. We're trying to keep 'em au PG. 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:08.320 That's the hardest part, Yeah cause l all the uh 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:11.240 emotions come out and uh when when when you're actually 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:13.600 doing it, it's sort of you're living it. It's not 0:05:13.680 --> 0:05:16.680 just words. Yeah, it's a part of you. It is 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:18.800 a party. If you're a black, a black person in 0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:22.599 this country, these words are a part of you. The victimization, 0:05:22.800 --> 0:05:25.600 the the the cover up, all this sort of thing, 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:29.360 and and it's j and it's a way I suppose 0:05:29.839 --> 0:05:33.800 that we can now voice voice our our our opinions 0:05:34.560 --> 0:05:38.279 through the media of print and through the rally. And 0:05:38.960 --> 0:05:42.400 yeah cause back in the days when Dad was with 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:46.200 the Tandem see back in w Yeah, and that suffered 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:47.719 the sort of the same things that would've been on 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:50.400 the Asia list and have been black band. They went 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:52.599 to the States and got with black power, came back 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:56.360 here and and tried to Oh I don't suppose you know, 0:05:56.560 --> 0:05:58.080 not to to copy what they. 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:00.760 Were doing there in America, but to do it our 0:06:00.800 --> 0:06:04.440 way here, you know, black fell away here and from there. 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:10.440 Well, and yeah, I'm excited just to be part of this, 0:06:11.240 --> 0:06:13.040 not to get out there and fight the coppers or 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:16.200 anything like that, but to get the message out there's 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:19.279 been an injustice and we won't set. 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:19.920 The records straight. 0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:23.680 And did you grow up here in Rocky from. 0:06:23.680 --> 0:06:28.360 Kents Sell, My mom from Nana Roan's from here Rocky. Yeah, 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.000 so we sort of came here from Nana Roan, my 0:06:31.160 --> 0:06:34.960 nana and I stayed. They compared to build a minor 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:36.360 standwy we end up staying. 0:06:37.360 --> 0:06:40.440 Yeah. Yeah, that was twenty five or six years ago, 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:40.760 I think. 0:06:40.839 --> 0:06:43.960 Yeah, so you've been here like probably around the time 0:06:44.000 --> 0:06:46.640 this murder took place. Did it surprise you when you 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:48.920 heard about the things that were going down with the police. 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:53.080 Yeah, it did actually because it was all over the media, 0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.880 but we only saw what they wanted us to see, 0:06:56.200 --> 0:06:59.840 you know, invisible media for the Black Father one more again. Yeah, 0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.960 so yeah, the positives weren't coming out. Was all the negativity, 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:08.599 And so I suppose true that everyone readymore at the 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:14.760 time until now quarter of a century later, which way 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:16.120 the truth comes out. 0:07:16.640 --> 0:07:18.760 It's interesting because it seems that Kevin Henry was pretty 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:20.400 much locked up for being a black man, so it 0:07:20.400 --> 0:07:22.680 could have happened to anyone when you think about it. 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:24.200 That's right, that's right. 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:27.440 They did something wrong and they covered it up and 0:07:28.720 --> 0:07:32.320 hopefully someone will pay for that life that went down. 0:07:33.880 --> 0:07:35.960 And you said you studied to be a journalist. How 0:07:36.000 --> 0:07:39.840 would you describe the media blackout? You sort of said before, 0:07:39.960 --> 0:07:42.000 But the fact is that media never really follow up 0:07:42.040 --> 0:07:44.760 these sort of cases when it comes to Aboriginal victims. 0:07:44.800 --> 0:07:47.720 That's right, and that's why I say that word invisibility. 0:07:47.760 --> 0:07:51.120 You know, they're invisible to anything good that's being done 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:55.320 by the let's say the black man. But now it's changing, 0:07:55.360 --> 0:07:58.320 you know, change is coming. Thank God for that. Change 0:07:58.360 --> 0:08:01.400 has come and we can see it now because of 0:08:01.440 --> 0:08:04.640 the passion that some have in the media to stand 0:08:04.720 --> 0:08:08.080 up and fight for it without being without being biased. 0:08:08.600 --> 0:08:11.360 And that's and that's what we need to be biased 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:14.960 in this case. Well, the evidence has been presented, be 0:08:15.040 --> 0:08:16.679 a mind about it, have a look. 0:08:16.520 --> 0:08:20.640 And then make your judgment. I here today. 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:26.160 The evidence, and you've been helping organize this rally. Do 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:28.320 you reckon that many people are going to turn up. 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:30.560 Yeah, yep. 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:35.040 The word's gone out with throwing fliers everywhere social media. 0:08:35.160 --> 0:08:37.240 You're handing amount at the flaws and the other Apparently. 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:38.800 Yes, someone said that. 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:41.520 You're not going to get in trouble. 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:43.880 Yeah, no, it was good. It was good. You know. 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:47.920 It's that there's no shame in it. Maybe there would 0:08:47.920 --> 0:08:49.760 have been, but there was no shame in it because 0:08:50.200 --> 0:08:52.880 this is this is for a good reason. This is 0:08:52.880 --> 0:08:57.400 for a good cause. This is not to attack the 0:08:57.520 --> 0:09:01.240 justice system. This is to prove a point that harong 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:05.240 has been done to Kevin Henry and. 0:09:05.280 --> 0:09:08.840 The lies are going to stop. The truth must come out. 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.079 That was Dwayne Mather who was holding to organized at rally, 0:09:13.559 --> 0:09:15.760 and another said before The rally is being held on 0:09:15.920 --> 0:09:19.559 May one from ten am to four pm at Nuber House. 0:09:20.160 --> 0:09:24.520 There were several speakers including Aboriginal activists and dancer Grender, 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.000 Stanley tax Chatman, who has been on this podcast before 0:09:28.040 --> 0:09:32.480 one served time with Kevin, and also Lexwatan from Palm Island. 0:09:35.320 --> 0:09:38.079 Lex Wotten was a two time counselor on the Palm 0:09:38.120 --> 0:09:43.120 Island Aboriginal Shire Council. When Mulrounji was tragically killed in 0:09:43.200 --> 0:09:48.200 police custody wouldn't led approximately one thousand people in the 0:09:48.240 --> 0:09:52.679 Palm Island riots, well, that's what police called them. They 0:09:52.720 --> 0:09:56.920 were demonstrations against what had been done. Wooten was arrested, 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:59.280 but on his release he was hailed as a hero 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:03.160 by many of the local residents. He continued to act 0:10:03.200 --> 0:10:05.800 as a leader and even ran for the mayor of 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:11.240 North Queensland Aboriginal Community. Approximately four years after the riot, 0:10:11.679 --> 0:10:15.200 Wooten was found guilty of inciting a riot and sentenced 0:10:15.200 --> 0:10:19.760 to seven years in prison. He later successfully sued the 0:10:19.840 --> 0:10:24.880 Queensland Police Service for unlawful racial discrimination and he knows 0:10:24.960 --> 0:10:29.880 all too well about police brutality, being imprisoned for a 0:10:29.920 --> 0:10:33.640 crime he didn't commit, and what's happening on the ground 0:10:33.800 --> 0:10:36.200 in Queensland now. 0:10:36.320 --> 0:10:38.360 I did mention that it hasn't just been a big 0:10:38.400 --> 0:10:40.920 week for us up here and Robbie, it's also been 0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:44.240 a big one for Martin down in Beager Martin, what 0:10:44.320 --> 0:10:45.840 are the updates on Kevin's cave? 0:10:46.559 --> 0:10:50.360 So as listeners might be aware, there's multiple things going 0:10:50.400 --> 0:10:55.520 on in Kevin's legal battle. As we've explained before, Kevin's 0:10:55.559 --> 0:11:00.000 appeals process has been exhausted long ago by his initial law. 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:05.079 So what we're working on is a getting Kevin paroled 0:11:05.840 --> 0:11:09.959 and b applying to the Queensland Government and the Queensland 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:14.800 Governor for an official pardon. It's quite a lengthy process 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:17.800 to get a pardon and you need to remember that 0:11:18.679 --> 0:11:22.480 if and when we are able to free Kevin Henry, 0:11:22.880 --> 0:11:26.480 he will have served longer in prison than any other 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:30.800 person in Australian history who's been wrongfully convicted, and that 0:11:30.880 --> 0:11:35.000 forms part of the complexity of this case. One of 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:37.840 the things that also makes it difficult in showing the 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:41.240 Attorney General and the Governor the problems and the flaws 0:11:41.240 --> 0:11:44.560 in this case is the simple fact that there are 0:11:44.760 --> 0:11:48.640 so many. In a lot of cases, an unfair trial 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:52.200 or a wrongful conviction will be the result of one 0:11:52.280 --> 0:11:56.040 piece of evidence or one witness. But as those who 0:11:56.040 --> 0:12:01.000 have listened to the podcast extensively understand, Kevin Henry was 0:12:01.080 --> 0:12:04.439 forced to give a confession and he maintains his innocence. 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:09.600 There was no forensic evidence ever presented against him, So 0:12:10.120 --> 0:12:13.760 challenging that forensic evidence is very difficult when even the 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:17.800 initial trial had no evidence against him, and there was 0:12:17.920 --> 0:12:21.440 no eye witness that actually saw Kevin take part in 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:24.800 any of the crime as it was laid out by police. 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:29.320 So we're basically having to do a full investigation of 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:34.080 the case ourselves and then present that as entirely new 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:38.480 evidence to the Attorney General and the Governor. Now in 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:43.480 this process, we're also updating many federal and state MPs 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:48.199 and senators and various Members of Parliament as to what 0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:51.640 we're doing in the case. It's vital that they apply 0:12:51.840 --> 0:12:55.800 pressure to the Queensland Attorney General to ensure that this 0:12:55.880 --> 0:12:58.800 matter is not left to sit in a draw for 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:03.400 years to come. Kevin Henry served twenty five years too 0:13:03.480 --> 0:13:06.960 long for a crime he did not commit. A single 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:11.640 day waiting is unacceptable. So that's why we'd ask you 0:13:11.720 --> 0:13:16.120 to write to your local MP, federal and MPs in 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:19.400 the State of Queensland and urge them to contact the 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:22.960 Attorney General and speed up the process in this case. 0:13:23.679 --> 0:13:28.599 In regards to Kevin's parole, we also have ongoing applications 0:13:28.640 --> 0:13:32.440 submitted on Kevin's behalf and we have to thank the 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:37.920 Werabinda and Rockhampton community for their extensive support in assisting 0:13:38.000 --> 0:13:43.000 Kevin with housing, a job and the support he'll need 0:13:43.480 --> 0:13:47.640 when he's finally released. So that's where it stands at 0:13:47.640 --> 0:13:48.120 the moment. 0:13:49.600 --> 0:13:53.480 So Martin, you mentioned you're putting together applications for the 0:13:53.480 --> 0:13:57.040 Attorney General to call for a parton what's the timeframe 0:13:57.120 --> 0:13:57.440 for that. 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:02.160 Well, the timeframe is quite complex in the sense that 0:14:02.440 --> 0:14:06.400 this is a very rare process that's been conducted and 0:14:06.640 --> 0:14:10.240 that really it's at the discretion of the Attorney General. 0:14:10.679 --> 0:14:14.240 So this will happen as quickly or as slowly as 0:14:14.280 --> 0:14:17.720 the Attorney General of Queensland a Vet Darth chooses it to. 0:14:18.679 --> 0:14:22.680 She could have her office fast track the events here 0:14:22.840 --> 0:14:26.320 and examine all the evidence that we've supplied so far 0:14:26.880 --> 0:14:30.040 and start to ask the vital questions that she needs 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:33.720 to to get to the bottom of this case. Now. 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:37.000 In terms of the Governor as well, it's a very 0:14:37.040 --> 0:14:42.040 similar process in that with the materials provided to them 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:45.520 and the material that can be provided to them by 0:14:46.280 --> 0:14:49.720 the Attorney General. And remember there's nothing stopping either the 0:14:49.720 --> 0:14:53.560 Governor or the Attorney General looking at the initial trial 0:14:53.640 --> 0:14:57.520 transcripts and looking at all the media and everything that's 0:14:57.560 --> 0:15:01.400 been said on this podcast, so there really is no 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:06.240 excuse for any delay on their behalf. It's purely a 0:15:06.280 --> 0:15:11.120 matter of how quickly they will choose to take a 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:14.160 look at this case and how quickly they'll choose to act, 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:18.680 and one would hope that that's done very quickly. In 0:15:18.720 --> 0:15:24.080 regards to the parole Generally, once we've filed a parole application, 0:15:24.720 --> 0:15:28.120 we hear back within a matter of about twenty eight 0:15:28.240 --> 0:15:31.480 days and a letter is sent by the Parole Office 0:15:31.720 --> 0:15:37.400 to Kevin after that date. But if he is rejected 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.280 for parole, then each and every time we will challenge 0:15:41.360 --> 0:15:45.560 that rejection on the grounds as to why he was rejected. 0:15:46.040 --> 0:15:48.800 And I can confirm we've done that in the past 0:15:49.400 --> 0:15:53.200 and that was successful in having the parole re looked at. 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:56.800 And we're waiting for the outcome of that parole decision. 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:03.960 So you mentioned before about public support and manners of 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:07.000 the public can actually get onto their local representatives to 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:10.920 advocate and Kevin. But what sort of public support do 0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:16.680 you think there needs to be, And given your background 0:16:16.720 --> 0:16:19.400 and uthers, this is what other cases, What has public 0:16:19.440 --> 0:16:20.800 support being like in other cases? 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:27.600 Well, to look at other cases of Australians, high profile Australians, 0:16:28.320 --> 0:16:32.000 we can look at the case of Henry Keo, who 0:16:33.400 --> 0:16:37.160 right now served twenty one years and holds the record 0:16:37.240 --> 0:16:42.520 for the longest imprisonment wrongful conviction until he was freed 0:16:43.000 --> 0:16:46.400 only a matter of years ago. And the support he 0:16:46.440 --> 0:16:50.840 got came largely from the media, from the legal fraternity, 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:54.080 and that included the head of News and a current 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:59.120 affair from Channel seven. So that is really high profile 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:03.760 support and that's what has to happen now. There's been 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:07.320 other Australians such as Andrew Mallard who had members of 0:17:07.359 --> 0:17:11.800 Parliament advocating on his behalf, as well as a well 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:16.520 known journalist and media organization. In terms of the most 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:20.520 high profile cases I've worked on, if you think about 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:24.600 the case of Peter Gresta, who was wrongfully held in Egypt, 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:29.520 remember the level of support that he had from the government, 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:34.800 from all facets of the media, all across social media, 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:38.320 from the public and people getting out and rallying and 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:44.000 marching and constantly holding the Egyptian government to account. And 0:17:44.160 --> 0:17:48.680 that's really what we need here in this case, and 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:53.120 sadly we don't see it enough in Australia. We've seen 0:17:53.160 --> 0:17:55.560 it in many of the cases I've worked on where 0:17:55.560 --> 0:18:00.840 Australians are held overseas, such as Peter grest David Hicks 0:18:00.960 --> 0:18:04.320 and the Bali nine. But particularly as it relates to 0:18:04.359 --> 0:18:08.600 Aboriginal prisoners. We never really see the outrage that these 0:18:08.720 --> 0:18:12.040 cases warrant and I would talk about a number of 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:17.320 cases I've worked on in America, one being Tookie Williams, 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:20.719 who was on death row. Now, as we were working 0:18:20.760 --> 0:18:25.960 on that case, we had support from Winnie Mandela, Jamie 0:18:26.000 --> 0:18:32.040 fox Snoop Dogg, and many politicians, lawyers and businesses right 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:35.920 across America and around the world. We also had support 0:18:35.960 --> 0:18:40.680 from European parliaments. So the excuse that there's nothing that 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:44.920 can be done just doesn't fly. We really need all 0:18:45.000 --> 0:18:48.880 members of parliament who believe in justice. All people who 0:18:49.320 --> 0:18:53.000 have a platform like Jamie fox Snoop Dogg and Winnie 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:57.600 Mandela had to use that platform to raise their voice 0:18:57.600 --> 0:19:00.720 for Kevin Henry, and we need members of the public 0:19:00.800 --> 0:19:03.840 to do the same. It's not good enough to just 0:19:03.920 --> 0:19:07.280 do it once. It has to be an ongoing call. 0:19:08.240 --> 0:19:12.359 Every day Kevin Henry sits in prison is another day 0:19:12.560 --> 0:19:17.040 that's too long. He's already served a lifetime a generation 0:19:17.600 --> 0:19:21.920 twenty five years long before any of us had mobile 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:27.000 phones or the Internet. Kevin Henry was wrongly imprisoned, and 0:19:27.000 --> 0:19:30.000 you really need to think about that and ask whether 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:34.600 what you've done, what those who do have a platform, 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:39.600 and what your government representatives have done, is enough. And 0:19:39.640 --> 0:19:42.760 I would say it's not, and that that pressure needs 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:46.680 to be applied much more broadly and much harder if 0:19:46.680 --> 0:19:49.959 we're to free Kevin Henry. We cannot do this on 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:50.480 our own. 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:55.000 So we talked about public support, but I lovely rock 0:19:55.040 --> 0:19:57.880 Campton with this value coming up. 0:19:58.480 --> 0:20:01.040 All of our local representative were. 0:20:01.000 --> 0:20:05.080 Since an invitation and all of them have knocked it back, 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:10.240 either said they had other arrangements or didn't even really 0:20:10.240 --> 0:20:13.399 give an excuse or anything. So locally here in rock Anton, 0:20:13.480 --> 0:20:18.960 our local representatives haven't supported Kevin Henry at all. Has 0:20:19.000 --> 0:20:24.200 there been other government support or other interests shown, particularly 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:25.119 on a federal level. 0:20:26.119 --> 0:20:26.280 No. 0:20:26.480 --> 0:20:30.120 I mean we've made contact with all the relevant federal 0:20:30.240 --> 0:20:35.840 MPs and ministers, those in opposition. We made a particular 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:40.000 point of reaching out to the indigenous representatives at a 0:20:40.000 --> 0:20:44.199 federal level, who are the MPs and senators, and we 0:20:44.320 --> 0:20:48.639 haven't had anything back. All we've had is generalized form 0:20:48.720 --> 0:20:53.560 responses which really don't do anything for us, and they've 0:20:53.600 --> 0:20:57.560 shown no support in any way for Kevin. We also 0:20:57.720 --> 0:21:01.760 really haven't had any support from anyone in a position 0:21:01.880 --> 0:21:07.200 of high profile, any ex politicians, anybody with a public 0:21:07.440 --> 0:21:11.800 platform who could amplify this message that we're trying to 0:21:11.840 --> 0:21:15.000 send out. So I think, on the one hand, I 0:21:15.040 --> 0:21:19.320 am very grateful of the people who listen to this podcast, 0:21:19.880 --> 0:21:25.040 the people in Rockhampton and Warabinda who are organizing this protest, 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:29.159 who are supporting Kevin, and the people like Yasmin who 0:21:29.240 --> 0:21:33.400 have done so for years and years. We also need 0:21:33.440 --> 0:21:36.199 to give a special thank you to those who are 0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:40.439 supporting us through Patreon, and I'll place the link again 0:21:40.640 --> 0:21:43.280 on our website so that if more people would like 0:21:43.359 --> 0:21:47.240 to support us they can do that. But really, we 0:21:47.359 --> 0:21:51.280 have had no support from any federal or state politicians, 0:21:51.760 --> 0:21:55.159 and we've had no support from high profile people, and 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:59.480 I think the public who have listened to this podcast 0:21:59.680 --> 0:22:02.880 will be very disappointed to hear that, and so I'd 0:22:02.960 --> 0:22:06.360 urge them to contact those people. And I think it's 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:10.119 very disappointing given the support that has been given to 0:22:10.200 --> 0:22:14.840 people in the past, such as David Hicks and Peter Gresta, 0:22:15.040 --> 0:22:18.680 and that support was rightly given and should have been given. 0:22:18.840 --> 0:22:23.840 That Kevin Henry absolutely deserves the same. He's spent far 0:22:24.000 --> 0:22:27.000 longer in prison than anyone else has for a crime 0:22:27.080 --> 0:22:31.679 he didn't commit. And if we're to take justice seriously 0:22:32.640 --> 0:22:36.280 and have a justice system that particularly Aboriginal people who 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:40.240 are the most victimized by the justice system, can have 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:44.240 any faith in this process, then Kevin Henry needs support 0:22:44.280 --> 0:22:45.280 and he needs it now. 0:22:46.600 --> 0:22:50.480 You mentioned before the Patreon what will a lot of 0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:53.760 that funding go towards, Because obviously you're doing a lot 0:22:53.760 --> 0:22:58.240 of work for Kevin Henry in the legal sense, what 0:22:58.320 --> 0:23:02.800 can our supporters, what does that support actually go towards? 0:23:03.840 --> 0:23:08.399 Okay, so the support goes to basically producing this podcast. 0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:14.560 It's quite expensive to host the podcast online and that's 0:23:14.600 --> 0:23:18.240 a monthly fee that the support so far doesn't cover. 0:23:18.359 --> 0:23:22.160 But we're grateful for that assistance all the legal work. 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.560 It will now be used as well for that too, 0:23:26.160 --> 0:23:29.280 because to free Kevin Henry, there's a huge amount of 0:23:29.359 --> 0:23:32.639 legal work, as we've discussed, to do with both the 0:23:32.720 --> 0:23:36.359 pardon lodged with the governor and the Attorney general, to 0:23:36.400 --> 0:23:41.680 do with Kevin's ongoing parole applications, and this just really 0:23:41.800 --> 0:23:45.880 helps cover some of the administrative costs that we are 0:23:45.960 --> 0:23:50.240 financing ourselves. So that's where the money is going. It 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:55.119 certainly won't cover all the costs, but it's greatly appreciated 0:23:55.680 --> 0:23:58.640 the money that does come through just to help support 0:23:58.680 --> 0:24:01.800 that and keep that fight going, both in terms of 0:24:01.920 --> 0:24:05.840 keeping this podcast afloat and assisting with the legal battle 0:24:05.880 --> 0:24:06.359 for Kevin. 0:24:07.320 --> 0:24:10.520 So there are many ways you can show your support 0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:15.399 to Kevin Henry's ongoing fight for justice, but one of 0:24:15.400 --> 0:24:17.639 the big ones will occur on May first, and if 0:24:17.680 --> 0:24:20.879