Last Drinks: The Impact of the Northern Territory Intervention

Last Drinks examines the 2007 Northern Territory Intervention, when the Australian government deployed military and police forces to remote Aboriginal communities in response to reports of widespread child abuse. Paul Toohey, an experienced journalist with deep knowledge of Northern Territory issues, investigates the political decisions, community impacts, and complex social factors surrounding this controversial policy. The essay draws on interviews with Indigenous community members, government officials, and health workers to present multiple perspectives on the intervention. The book traces both the immediate aftermath and longer-term consequences of the government's actions, examining alcohol restrictions, welfare reforms, and changes to land rights that resulted from the policy. It won the 2008 Walkley Award for Excellence in Indigenous Affairs Reporting. Through its analysis of the intervention, Last Drinks raises fundamental questions about Indigenous self-determination, government policy effectiveness, and the ongoing challenges of addressing social issues in remote Australian communities.

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🔸 Paul Toohey received Australia's prestigious Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2008 for his coverage of indigenous affairs and the Northern Territory intervention. 🔸 The 2007 Northern Territory Intervention involved deploying Australian military forces alongside government officials in 73 Aboriginal communities, marking the first time the military had been used in this capacity since World War II. 🔸 The intervention suspended the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, a controversial decision that drew criticism from the United Nations and human rights organizations worldwide. 🔸 The policy affected approximately 45,000 Aboriginal people living in prescribed areas and cost the Australian government over $1.5 billion in its first four years. 🔸 The author spent extensive time reporting from remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory as chief Darwin correspondent for The Australian newspaper, giving him unique firsthand insights into the intervention's impact.