Good afternoon. I’m Warwick Baird, Director of the Native Title Unit at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. What a great conference it has been so far. Thanks AIATSIS for a wonderful job, Lisa Strelein and all your colleagues thank you for all your hard work.

Between December 2007 and July 2008 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, will deliver a series of key speeches setting out an agenda for change in Indigenous affairs.

I begin by paying my respects to the Mouhenenner people, the traditional owners of the land where we gather today.  I pay my respects to your elders, to the ancestors and to those who have come before us. 

Between December 2007 and July 2008 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Tom Calma, will deliver a series of key speeches setting out an agenda for change in Indigenous affairs.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

I would like to begin by acknowledging the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, the traditional owners of the land on which we meet and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

I would like to acknowledge the Gumatj people on whose land we are today.  I would also like to acknowledge other Yolngu people and balanda here today and thank the Yothu Yindi Foundation for inviting me to speak at this years Garma Festival where we celebrate the Yolngu culture and world view.

Thank you to Andrea Durbach and the Australian Human Rights Centre for the invitation to speak tonight, and also to Amber Rowe for her organisation of this event.

I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land where we are meeting tonight, the Gadigal peoples of the Eora nation. I pay my respects to your elders and to those who have come before us. And thank you to Chicka Madden for your generous welcome to country. Chicka and I spent a term together on the Board of Aboriginal Hostels.

I begin by paying my respects to the Kaurna peoples,  the traditional owners of the land where we gather today, I pay my respects to your elders,  to the ancestors and to those who have come before us, And thank you,   for your generous welcome to country for all of us.