Nine hit as report labelled ‘racist’

A NINE News investigation into the Palm Island riots payout has been labelled “racist”, “appalling” and distorted.

The report last week detailed the “luxury” items that Palm Island residents had purchased with the compensation.

Media Watch’s Paul Barry said the $30 million payout stemmed from the Palm Island riots, sparked when Cameron Doomadgee died in custody of severe internal injuries after he was locked up for swearing.

“One week later, Doomadgee’s death was officially declared an accident and a large group of islanders rioted in response,” Barry said.

“Whereupon the police cracked down with a show of force the court found could not be justified.”

Barry said Nine News reporter Alex Heinke was more focused on what residents spent their money on than why they received the money.

“You might reckon buying a boat is not a bad idea when you live on an island, but more to the point: Why is it anybody’s business how they spend their money?” Barry said.

The Media Watch host said the lawyer in the class action, Stewart Levitt, was also disappointed in the story.

Mr Levitt was quoted in the

First Nations Telegraph: “(It) was just based on racist tropes about indigenous people and why they should not have the benefit of damages awarded to them by the Federal Court following a lengthy trial”.

“The claims were clearly scrutinised and there is not a scintilla of evidence to suggest anyone is a ‘dodgy claimant’.”

Nine News denied the report was racist and said it was Mr Levitt who had told it his legal team had discovered people had lied in the class action.