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[1] Information in this Appendix is a collation of extracts from responses provided by various Federal, State and Territory Government Departments in Correspondence to T Calma, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, for the Native Title Report 2008.

Family violence and abuse occurs at unacceptable rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) communities. We have heard many tragic stories of women, children and young people who have experienced devastating sexual abuse and family violence. It is a scourge that is causing damage and trauma among Indigenous communities, to our women and children, and to the fabric of Indigenous cultures.

Lots of white kids do get taken away, but that's for a reason - not like us. We just got taken away because we was black kids, I suppose - half-caste kids. If they wouldn't like it, they shouldn't do it to Aboriginal families. Confidential evidence 357, South Australia.

Lateral violence is a multilayered, complex problem and because of this our strategies also need to be pitched at different levels. In Chapter 3 I have looked at the big picture, with the human rights framework as our overarching response to lateral violence. In this Chapter I will be taking our strategies to an even more practical level, looking at how we can create environments of cultural safety and security to address lateral violence.

In accordance with the general principle stated at Guideline 2 and the UNHCR [1] Guidelines on Refugee Children, minors who are asylum seekers should not be detained…

The two recent High Court decisions in Miriuwung Gajerrong [1] and Wilson v Anderson [2] have clarified some important issues regarding the extinguishment of native title under the Native Title Act 1993 (Cwlth) (‘NTA’) and its relationship with extinguishment under the common law. They also provide some important insights into the meaning of discrimination as it responds to the specific issues raised by the recognition of native title, a proprietary interest which is inherent to a particular racial group.

The international human rights norms against which practices of racism and discrimination against Indigenous people must be judged are the guarantees of equality before the law and racial non-discrimination. These norms are recognised in every major international human rights treaty, convention and declaration. They are recognised and protected in the following instruments to which Australia is a party.

The deceased was travelling with a friend in a car on Kloeden St, Ceduna at around 1:30am on the morning of Sunday 2 July. The car was approached by police who later stated that they were attending to a break-in in the street. The officers ran a warrant check on the pair. The friend was allowed to go but the deceased was arrested on warrants for non-payment of fines and a non-appearance on an assault police charge at Port Lincoln Courthouse, 300km from Ceduna. Following the arrest procedures the deceased was placed in the police cell complex around about 2.30am.

The Commission reviews staff performance annually through its Performance Management Scheme. The Scheme provides an opportunity to set goals and priorities in line with our Strategic Plan and to assess the level of individual performance and contribution to Unit outcomes. The Scheme also provides an opportunity to identify and address learning and development needs and to plan effectively for the acquisition of identified skill requirements.

1. The provisions made by Australia to implement its international human rights obligations regarding child asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors.

The first twelve months of the federal government's new arrangements for the administration of Indigenous affairs has ended. The primary focus of this period has been on abolishing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) and creating new processes to engage with local Indigenous communities and coordinate mainstream delivery of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Twelve months on, the new arrangements remain in a transitional phase. It will be a number of years before they are fully locked into place.

The interim paper, Valuing Parenthood: Options for paid maternity leave set out an extensive range of objectives that paid maternity leave could meet. [242] Many of these objectives were dependent on the structure of the scheme that was implemented.

In August 2001, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) began a comprehensive examination of the need or otherwise for a national paid maternity leave scheme in Australia.

Thank you for joining me here this afternoon to launch the Social Justice Report 2004 and the Native Title Report 2004. Both reports were tabled in Parliament out of session last Friday.