Indigenous | Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane

Media Release

Monday 9 February 2009

Sorry by Tony Albert Girramay/Kuku Yalanji people

The first anniversary of the apology to members of the Stolen Generations by the Federal Parliament is an opportunity for Australians to reflect on our nation’s journey of healing and to commit to action which advances the cause of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, according to Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission.

The Commission is working with the Archdiocesan Murri Ministry Team to organize a celebration of the anniversary on Friday 13 February.

Brisbane community elders, members of the Stolen Generations, representatives of a number of Catholic schools and Bishop Brian Finnegan have been invited to participate in the celebration.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the parliamentary apology was an immensely significant moment in the reconciliation process in Australia.

“The apology was greeted so passionately by many Indigenous Australians because it officially acknowledged their history,” Mr Arndt said.

“Acknowledging the mistreatment and the enormous hurt and damaging effects caused by it allows healing to begin,” he said.

“We can only acknowledge that history if we know about it,” he said.

“That is why it is so important that all Australians make a commitment to learn about the history and culture of the first peoples of our land,” he said.

“The Bringing Them Home report recommended education in the community, schools and within various professions about the Stolen Generations story,” he said.

“More needs to be done in this area, not so that people can feel guilty, but so that we all understand why there is so much hurt and disadvantage within Indigenous communities,” he said.

“Understanding and acknowledgement enable us to develop effective action to address the hurt and the problems and to get community support for them,” he said.

“Along with the apology, the Federal Government made commitments to act in a number of areas and it is pleasing to see that some progress has been made in the last twelve months,” he said.

“The commitment, in particular, by the Federal and State and Territory Governments to inject significant funding into efforts to close the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians is welcome,” he said.

“There is so much to be done and it won’t be easy or quick, but, with the on-going support of the Australian community, change for the better can happen,” he said.

“The Commission hopes that Catholic parishes and schools will continue to reach out to local Indigenous people and develop relationships which can be the basis for reconciliation,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

10 December 2008

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has called for both the Federal and Queensland Governments to take action on the rights of Indigenous Australians.

In particular, it has called on the Federal Government to become a signatory to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and for the Queensland Government to act on the concerns of Indigenous people about the use of money from its “Stolen Wages” reparations Scheme and the Aboriginal Welfare Fund.

The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was of the highest priority to the Commission.

“On International Human Rights Day, the Commission wants to express its solidarity with Indigenous people who are still waiting for justice,” Mr Arndt said.

“After speaking with our Indigenous advisors, we urge the Federal Government to act quickly to become a signatory to the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples,” he said.

“The Prime Minister promised to do this at last year’s election, but the Government has not done so yet,” he said.

“The Government was given an opportunity to show its support for the Declaration in the Senate in September, but did not do so,” he said.

“Our Indigenous advisors have also told us that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are very upset with the Queensland Government’s unwillingness to listen to them on the Stolen Wages issue,” he said.

“The great majority of Indigenous people consulted by the Government wanted it to use unclaimed funds in its reparations scheme to pay more money to Indigenous workers who had wages taken away from them and never given back,” he said.

“They do not want any of the money from the reparations scheme or the Aboriginal Welfare Fund being used to establish an education fund, but the Government has ignored them,” he said.

“Aboriginal workers have a right to be paid their wages in full,” he said.

“Every Indigenous child also has a right to get a decent education funded by the Government and not just a select few who get a scholarship funded out of Indigenous workers’ wages,” he said.

“The Government should not be taking money from funds put aside to pay Indigenous people what they are owed in wages and using it for other purposes,” he said.

“There is a lot of anger and hurt within Indigenous communities over this issue and the Government must listen,” he said.

For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane

A Commission within the Archdiocese of Brisbane

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NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

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