State sets up indigenous wage entitlements taskforce

The State Government will investigate past wage entitlements of indigenous workers, held in government trusts, through a taskforce to report in June next year.

An announcement from Indigenous Affairs Minister Michelle Roberts is pasted below

The State Government has announced a significant commitment to indigenous reconciliation in Western Australia.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Michelle Roberts said a taskforce would be established to investigate stolen wages of indigenous people in the State.

"The State Government is addressing and trying to resolve some of the injustices committed against indigenous people in the past," Mrs Roberts said.

"This is a important step in working towards reconciliation, and a positive future for indigenous people in this State."

The announcement coincided with the 40th anniversary of the 1967 referendum that changed the Commonwealth Constitution to allow the Commonwealth Parliament to make special laws regarding indigenous people and enable indigenous people to be included in the national census.

The term 'stolen wages' refers to entitlements and other moneys that should have been paid to indigenous workers but were not. Regulations allowed the Government of the day to hold in trust up to 75 per cent of an indigenous person's wages. There is evidence that some of the workers did not receive their full entitlements.

The Minister said the taskforce would be charged with determining the scope and extent of the stolen wages issue. It would identify and analyse the relevant records, seek specialist advice and undertake comprehensive consultation before reporting to Cabinet.

The taskforce would report to her by June next year.

"In the absence of a detailed examination of Western Australian records, it is not possible to calculate how many indigenous people may have been affected or how much money was retained by the Government of the day or other parties," she said.

The Minister also announced today that all State Government agencies would focus on reconciliation through their own Action Plans.

"Each agency and department will work with the Department of Indigenous Affairs to develop individual Reconciliation Action Plans which specify targets and timelines to overcome indigenous disadvantages," she said.

"Part of the reconciliation process is acknowledging that in the past indigenous people were treated differently from other West Australians.

"Reconciliation Action Plans and the establishment of a taskforce to investigate the stolen wages issue are tangible examples of the State Government's commitment to indigenous people."

The Department of Indigenous Affairs will drive the program throughout Government, working with Reconciliation Australia to provide advice on how to develop effective Reconciliation Action Plans.

The plans will align with the National Reconciliation Agenda and address the key areas of housing, health, education, training, employment, social and communal relationships, and law and justice.

Common across all agencies will be three overarching objectives:

• ensuring positive child development and prevention of violence, crime and self-harm;
• establishing safe, healthy and supportive family environments with sharing communities and cultural identity; and
• improving wealth creation and economic sustainability for individuals, families and communities.

"The State Government must take the lead in this area. The emphasis must be on genuine reconciliation that involves real measures to address real problems," the Minister said.