Indigenous Affairs in

Australia
post the Apology
Tom Calma

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Social Justice Commissioner
and
Race Discrimination Commissioner
Australian Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission

Prime Minister Kevin

Rudd Apology to
Australias Indigenous
Peoples
13 February 2008

Until we fully confront that truth, there will

always be a shadow hanging over us and our
future as a fully united and fully reconciled
people. It is time to reconcile. It is time to
recognise the injustices of the past. It is time
to say sorry
To the stolen generations, I say the following:
as Prime Minister of Australia, I am sorry. On
behalf of the government of Australia, I am
sorry. On behalf of the parliament of Australia,
I am sorry. I offer you this apology without
qualification.
We apologise for the hurt, the pain and
suffering that we, the parliament, have caused
you by the laws that previous parliaments
have enacted. We
apologise for the indignity, the degradation
and the humiliation these laws embodied.
Our challenge for the future is to embrace a new
partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous
Australians.
The core of this partnership for the future is closing
the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous

Equality in Indigenous health and

life expectation within 25 years
Targets:

Health status equality

within 25 Years

Equality of opportunity
in 10 years
Primary health care
Health infrastructure
Indigenous health
workforce

Close the Gap Campaign

Achieving
Aboriginal and
Torres Strait
Islander health
equality within a
generation A
human rights
based approach

National Health Equality Summit

Statement of Intent
The Statement of Intent commits to:

Develop a comprehensive, long-term plan of action,

that is targeted to need, evidence-based and capable
of addressing the existing inequities in health
services, in order to achieve equality of health status
and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples and non- Indigenous
Australians by 2030.

Ensure the full participation of Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander peoples and their representative
bodies in all aspects of addressing their health needs.

Build on the evidence base and supporting what

works.

Respect and promote the rights of Aboriginal and

Torres Strait Islander peoples; And

Measure, monitor, and report on our joint efforts, in

accordance with benchmarks and targets, to ensure
that we are progressively realising our shared
ambitions.

Council of Australian Governments

COAG agreed to:

A partnership between all levels of government to work

with Indigenous communities to achieve the target of
closing the gap on Indigenous disadvantage including:
closing the life expectancy gap within a generation;
halving the mortality gap for children under five within a
decade; &
halving the gap in reading, writing and numeracy within a
decade.
recognising the pathway to closing the gap is inextricably linked
to economic development and improved education outcomes.
establishing a Working Group on Indigenous Reform

Health Equality Targets

Partnership Targets to lock into place a

collaborative approach to Indigenous health;

Health Status Targets - Targets that focus on

specific priority areas of child and maternal
health, chronic disease and mental health
and emotional and social wellbeing;

Primary Health Care and other Health

Services Targets; and

Infrastructure Targets.

Northern Territory Intervention

Action 1:
Restore all rights to procedural
fairness and external merits review;

Action 2:
Reinstate protections against racial
discrimination;

Action 3:
Amend or remove the provisions that
declare that the legislation constitutes a special
measure;

Action 4:
Reinstate protections against
discrimination in the Northern Territory and
Queensland;

Action 5:
Require consent to be obtained in the
management of Indigenous property and confirm the
guarantee of just terms compensation;

Northern Territory Intervention

Action 6:
Reinstate the CDEP Program and review
the operation of the income management scheme so
that it is consistent with human rights;

Action 7: Review the operation and effectiveness of

the alcohol management schemes;

Action 8:
Ensure the effective participation of
Indigenous peoples in all aspects of the intervention;

Action 9:
Set a timetable for the transition from
an emergency intervention to a community
development plan;

Action 10: Ensure stringent monitoring and review

processes.

Blue Mud Bay Case

Traditional Owners have the right to exclude

commercial and recreational fishers from tidal
waters within the Blue Mud Bay, in northeast
Arnhem Land

Fishing licences merely regulate the specific activity

of fishing but do not authorise entry to any
particular area.

Common law notion of a public right to fish has

been abrogated by the Northern Territory's fisheries
legislation
Northern Territory of Australia
v
Arnhem Land Aboriginal Land Trust

New National Indigenous Representative

Body
The Barunga Statement (June 1988)
We call on the Commonwealth to pass laws
providing: A national elected Aboriginal and
Islander organisation to oversee Aboriginal and
Islander affairs;

Minister for Indigenous Affairs (May 2008)

The Government went to the election with a
commitment to set up a national representative
body to provide an Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander voice within government. We will soon
begin formal discussions with Indigenous people
about the role, status and composition of this
body.
HREOC Issues Paper, 2008
What are the lessons learned from other Indigenous
representative mechanisms that currently exist, or
have previously existed, in Australia and overseas.
Issues to consider:
- the guiding principles
- role and functions
- structure and membership

UN Declaration on the
Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Adopted by the General Assembly

on 13 September 2007
Recognises human rights and
fundamental freedoms of
indigenous peoples including:
right to unrestricted self-determination
inalienable collective right to the
ownership, use and control of lands,
territories and other natural resources,
prior and informed consultation,
participation and consent
fair and adequate compensation
guarantees against ethnocide and
genocide.

The importance of hope

From self respect comes dignity

and
from dignity comes hope

HREOC online at:

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www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/speeches/index.html
Reports
www.humanrights.gov.au/social_justice/index.html
Submissions
www.humanrights.gov.au/legal/submissions/index.html
Media
www.humanrights.gov.au/about/media/index.html
Education
www.humanrights.gov.au/education/index.html

Contact HREOC
on +61 2 9284 9600