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In my role as Acting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner I am pleased to present the sixth report regarding the enjoyment and exercise of human rights by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, pursuant to section 46 of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Act 1986.

This report presents various responses to Bringing Them Home, the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ from their Families. This is not done to re-open the substance of the Inquiry, its findings or the basis of its recommendations.

The removal of the children from Wave Hill by MacRobertson Miller aircraft was accompanied by distressing scenes the like of which I wish never to experience again. The engines of the 'plane are not stopped at Wave Hill and the noise combined with the strangeness of an aircraft only accentuated the grief and fear of the children, resulting in near-hysteria in two of them. I am convinced that the…

It has been worth it because the wider community is more aware of the issues and our history, but the opening of the old scars has been difficult. It's vital that the truth comes out, though.

You would be hard pressed to find a newspaper, television or radio station that did not make mention of Sorry Day activities and National Reconciliation events over the past week.

We must all face the truth of the past. It lives on in us. We must learn from it and deal with it, so that there may be justice, reconciliation, healing and hope for the future. We therefore recognise this crucial moment in the history of the Canberra Baptist Church as a God given opportunity for us:

Bringing Them Home - the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ from Their Families (the National Inquiry) - made 54 'head' recommendations, 83 recommendations in total [1], to address what was referred to as 'the continuing devastation of the lives of Indigenous Australians'. The implementation of most recommendations requires action…

After watching all the media news on the night of May 26, and all you 'Australians' ... simply refusing to say 'I'm Sorry', I felt ashamed to be an Australian and I would like to clarify the 'Sorry' issue as I understand it.

Politicians, church leaders, community members and the local Aboriginal community gathered in Peace Park yesterday for 'Sorry Day', organised by local members of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

A national 'Sorry Day' is being observed on 26 May, 1998, exactly one year after the tabling in Federal Parliament of the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ºÚÁÏÇ鱨վ from Their Families.

This table provides a collective overview of the responses made by governments to the Inquiry's Recommendations. Analysis of government responses together with details of individual government initiatives, where they are known, are provided in the body of the Implementation Report.

Social Justice Report 2006 Back to Contents Media Release Government approach to Indigenous affairs seriously flawed 14 June 2007 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner Tom Calma has called on the federal Government to address serious flaws in their Indigenous affairs programs and services. “It is clear to me that there are serious problems with the federal…

There is an urgent need for sound policy in Indigenous affairs. Chapter 1 of the Social Justice Report 2006 considers what some of the key elements of good Indigenous policy making are.

New arrangements for the administration of Indigenous affairs (introduced as of 1 July 2004) transferred responsibility for the administration of Indigenous specific programs to mainstream government departments. The new arrangements aim to remove, or at least reduce, the barriers that prevent Indigenous peoples from accessing existing mainstream services on an equitable basis. This objective has…

When it comes to ‘good policy’ in Indigenous affairs, a core requirement is the effective participation of Indigenous peoples in all decisions that impact on their lives. In practice, this means governments have a responsibility to actively involve Indigenous peoples in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies that affect them, and to make the necessary…

Background Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRAs) have been promoted as one of the key approaches to develop mutual obligation for the delivery of services over and above basic citizenship entitlements.

In recent years there have been significant developments at the international level that impact upon the recognition and protection of the human rights of Indigenous peoples.

That there be established a regular federal parliamentary committee of inquiry into the progress of the new arrangements in Indigenous affairs and progress in achieving whole-of-government service delivery to Indigenous communities.

Social Justice Report 2005 Media Release back to contents Thursday, 16 February 2006 Indigenous rights watchdog challenges governments to commit to health equality within a generation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, has issued a challenge to Australian governments to address Indigenous health inequality and inequality of opportunity through a new…

Social Justice Report 2005 back to contents Social Justice Report 2005 Biography: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Mr Tom Calma Mr Calma is an Aboriginal elder from the Kungarakan tribal group and the Iwaidja tribal group whose traditional lands are south west of Darwin and on the Coburg Peninsula in Northern Territory, respectively. He has been involved in …