Page 340 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 14 February 2017
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Minister, Kate Carnell, apologised to the Ngunnawal people and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT for the hurt and distress inflicted upon their people as a result of the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families.
Madam Speaker, the word “sorry” holds special meaning in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. As you would no doubt be aware, in many Aboriginal communities “sorry” is an adapted English word used to describe the rituals surrounding death, which is referred to as “sorry business”. “Sorry” expresses sympathy, empathy and an acknowledgement of loss. For many the apology represented a public admission of the government’s responsibility for decades of trauma, loss and separation from family, community, culture and land. It acknowledged the experiences of the stolen generations and represented an important stage of the journey of healing for many stolen generation members. This week we mark the ninth anniversary of the apology.
I would like to take this opportunity to restate the ACT government’s commitment to Canberra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Whilst acknowledging that we have a long way to go in closing the gap, we continue to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT in many ways.
I would also like particularly to highlight the opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members to participate through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body. The elected body is made up of seven members democratically elected to represent the interests and aspirations of the local community. It provides direct advice to the ACT government, with the aim of improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here in the ACT. The elected body is unique to the ACT and highlights the very important role of our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in contributing to oversight and policy development.
The next election for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body will be held during NAIDOC week in July this year. The call for nominations will commence on 15 May and I encourage any interested Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person with a passion to support their community to nominate as a candidate. This election provides an opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the ACT to have a say in how they are represented, and I urge all community members to vote in this process.
The current elected body, of course, was responsible for negotiating the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander agreement: a statement of commitment to reconciliation and wellbeing of communities, an articulation of relationship principles and a description of key focus areas on which we agree to work together for improved outcomes. Under the agreement, the ACT government and the elected body work together to build strong families and connected communities, improve the delivery of health, housing, economic and social services and ensure equitable outcomes for all.
The 2016-17 budget includes a range of initiatives to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. A key feature of this is the provision of coordinated
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