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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/22/queensland-truth-telling-inquiry-to-continue-work-despite-crisafulli-governments-vow-to-abolish-it
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| ‘We’ve got a responsibility’: Queensland truth-telling head vows to complete inquiry despite premier’s plan to scrap it | ‘We’ve got a responsibility’: Queensland truth-telling head vows to complete inquiry despite premier’s plan to scrap it |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Commission chair reopens submissions and says report will be finished and tabled in parliament | Commission chair reopens submissions and says report will be finished and tabled in parliament |
| The head of Queensland’s Indigenous truth-telling and healing commission has vowed to complete the inquiry, defying the government’s plan to eliminate it. | The head of Queensland’s Indigenous truth-telling and healing commission has vowed to complete the inquiry, defying the government’s plan to eliminate it. |
| The chairperson, Josh Creamer, restarted the historic inquiry on Friday, 23 days after the new premier, David Crisafulli, ordered it to halt work. | The chairperson, Josh Creamer, restarted the historic inquiry on Friday, 23 days after the new premier, David Crisafulli, ordered it to halt work. |
| The LNP leader has also vowed to repeal the legislation underpinning it. | The LNP leader has also vowed to repeal the legislation underpinning it. |
| But Creamer said on Friday he had reopened online submissions and would complete a report by January. The report would make recommendations to government, he said, and be tabled in parliament. | But Creamer said on Friday he had reopened online submissions and would complete a report by January. The report would make recommendations to government, he said, and be tabled in parliament. |
| “We certainly can’t sit around here for months and months and months waiting for them to do something,” Creamer said. | “We certainly can’t sit around here for months and months and months waiting for them to do something,” Creamer said. |
| “We’ve got a responsibility as members under the act, and I’ve got responsibilities in terms of effective and efficient use of resources, and I don’t want the team sitting around doing nothing, waiting for the government for three or four months.” | “We’ve got a responsibility as members under the act, and I’ve got responsibilities in terms of effective and efficient use of resources, and I don’t want the team sitting around doing nothing, waiting for the government for three or four months.” |
| Creamer said the inquiry still had the necessary legislation in place, and still had staff and board members. | Creamer said the inquiry still had the necessary legislation in place, and still had staff and board members. |
| “So long as those three things are in place, we are an independent inquiry, and we have to make decisions for ourselves based on the information which is available to us,” he said. | “So long as those three things are in place, we are an independent inquiry, and we have to make decisions for ourselves based on the information which is available to us,” he said. |
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| Creamer previously labelled the premier’s move to repeal “hugely disrespectful”, and has repeatedly complained about a lack of communication from the government. | Creamer previously labelled the premier’s move to repeal “hugely disrespectful”, and has repeatedly complained about a lack of communication from the government. |
| On Friday he said he had received no further information, despite multiple requests to the premier and minister Fiona Simpson for a meeting. | On Friday he said he had received no further information, despite multiple requests to the premier and minister Fiona Simpson for a meeting. |
| “I saw the minister at the Women’s Legal Service breakfast yesterday, and she ran away from me. So you know, if they want to have a discussion, that’s up to them,” he said. | “I saw the minister at the Women’s Legal Service breakfast yesterday, and she ran away from me. So you know, if they want to have a discussion, that’s up to them,” he said. |
| “She saw me and went the other way.” | “She saw me and went the other way.” |
| Creamer described relations with the government as “frosty”. | Creamer described relations with the government as “frosty”. |
| The inquiry laid out a new work plan to Simpson on Friday. | The inquiry laid out a new work plan to Simpson on Friday. |
| It does not include new public hearings – despite previous plans for inquiry sessions at Minjerribah/Terrangerri (North Stradbroke Island) in December. | It does not include new public hearings – despite previous plans for inquiry sessions at Minjerribah/Terrangerri (North Stradbroke Island) in December. |
| But online submissions have been reopened, and the inquiry has contacted a range of organisations, including government agencies and historical societies, “requesting that any of those entities who wish to provide further submissions or material to contribute to the Inquiry’s record take advantage of this final opportunity before the Act is repealed”. | But online submissions have been reopened, and the inquiry has contacted a range of organisations, including government agencies and historical societies, “requesting that any of those entities who wish to provide further submissions or material to contribute to the Inquiry’s record take advantage of this final opportunity before the Act is repealed”. |
| Submissions and materials provided to the inquiry will form part of its records and will be preserved by the state archives. | Submissions and materials provided to the inquiry will form part of its records and will be preserved by the state archives. |
| The inquiry will also once again promote public awareness of the history of Queensland’s colonisation. | |
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| Creamer said the inquiry would not restart public hearings, partly because it was unable to provide long-term trauma-aware support for participants. | Creamer said the inquiry would not restart public hearings, partly because it was unable to provide long-term trauma-aware support for participants. |
| As opposition leader, Crisafulli voted to establish the inquiry and create a process for negotiating treaties in 2023. He said he hoped the law would be “a catalyst for materially improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this state”. All 34 LNP MPs voted for the bill. | As opposition leader, Crisafulli voted to establish the inquiry and create a process for negotiating treaties in 2023. He said he hoped the law would be “a catalyst for materially improving the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in this state”. All 34 LNP MPs voted for the bill. |
| Crisafulli changed his mind in the days after the failed voice referendum, promising instead to improve Indigenous home ownership rates. | Crisafulli changed his mind in the days after the failed voice referendum, promising instead to improve Indigenous home ownership rates. |
| The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, said on Friday that Simpson had “sought advice to a lot of those questions that were asked by the inquiry”. | The deputy premier, Jarrod Bleijie, said on Friday that Simpson had “sought advice to a lot of those questions that were asked by the inquiry”. |
| “I’ve got all confidence that a meeting will take place, but the inquiry asks various questions, the minister’s getting the answers to those questions, and she wants those answers before she meets with the inquiry chair.” | “I’ve got all confidence that a meeting will take place, but the inquiry asks various questions, the minister’s getting the answers to those questions, and she wants those answers before she meets with the inquiry chair.” |
| Bleijie said the government had corresponded with the inquiry through writing. | Bleijie said the government had corresponded with the inquiry through writing. |
| A spokesperson for Simpson said the government had made its position on the path to treaty act very clear following Queensland’s “overwhelming decision” on the voice referendum. | |
| “The position that it will be repealed was clearly taken to the electorate and one Queenslanders voted for,” they said. | |
| The spokesperson said Simpson had written to Creamer on 4 November to request the work of the inquiry be put on hold until the act is repealed, and again on 19 November saying “advice around confirmed timeframes would be provided as soon as practicable”. | |
| The truth-telling and healing inquiry held its historic first hearings in September, including testimony by government department directors general and the police commissioner. It also heard from seven victims of colonialism about issues including wage theft, abuse and the state protection system. | The truth-telling and healing inquiry held its historic first hearings in September, including testimony by government department directors general and the police commissioner. It also heard from seven victims of colonialism about issues including wage theft, abuse and the state protection system. |
| Declaring the inquiry “divisive”, Crisafulli promised to repeal the state’s Pathway to Treaty Act this year, making it one of the first acts of his government. | Declaring the inquiry “divisive”, Crisafulli promised to repeal the state’s Pathway to Treaty Act this year, making it one of the first acts of his government. |
| Creamer has said the decision to end an independent inquiry by a new government is unprecedented. | Creamer has said the decision to end an independent inquiry by a new government is unprecedented. |