Search results

In most cases of forcible removal government officials and agents were responsible for the removal under legislation or regulations. However, there were early cases of removal of children by missionaries without the consent of the parents. In Victoria the absence of government oversight of welfare services enabled churches and other non-government agencies to remove children from their families without any court order or other official approval.

The Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee conducted an inquiry this year into the federal government's implementation of recommendations made by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in Bringing them home. The inquiry considered proposals for the establishment of an alternative dispute resolution tribunal for members of the stolen generations; and considered the consistency of the government's response to the recommendations with the reconciliation process and the aspirations and needs of members of the stolen generations.

The reconciliation process has made clear the pressing need for Aboriginal peoples to negotiate freely the terms of their continuing relationship with Australia. The report shows that the recognition of Indigenous people's right to their land and the origins of a nation are inextricably related and that changes to one part of the relationship infer and require changes to the other. Developments in native title law reflect upon the ethical foundations of the nation.(p44)

The strong, vibrant and committed Noongar peoples of the South West corner of Australia had their native title determination over Perth returned to square one. The Full Federal Court found that the first judge had made a number of errors in his decision and have sent the case back for consideration by a new judge, leaving the Noongar peoples uncertain about the future of their rights over the land. This is despite the Western Australian government openly acknowledging the Noongar peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land.

HRC Report No. 13 Copyright © Commonwealth of Australia 2001 Copying is permissible with acknowledgment of the authorship of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, Sydney, 2001.

Bringing Them Home - the Report of the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children 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 to be taken by the Commonwealth Government and/or State or Territory Governments.

Actually what you see in a lot of us is the shell, and I believe as an Aboriginal person that everything is inside of me to heal me if I know how to use it, if I know how to maintain it, if I know how to bring out and use it. But sometimes the past is just too hard to look at. Confidential evidence 284, South Australia.

The Refugee Council of Australia welcomes the Inquiry by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into Children in Immigration Detention. In our opinion, this is a very timely and important Inquiry into an area of great significance to Australia as a nation and to the way that Australia is perceived internationally.