Qld’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry to reopen submissions

The chairman of Queensland’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry will reopen submissions despite LNP plans to shut it down.

Truth-telling and healing inquiry chairman Joshua Creamer. Picture: Steve Pohlner

The defiant chair of the Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry has revealed they will recommence the work of the inquiry despite the state government moving to shut it down.

Following 23 days and six attempts to meet with the LNP Government regarding the dismantling, Joshua Creamer said the team behind the inquiry could not “sit around for months waiting”.

“If you want to dismantle a functioning and effective inquiry, you have to comply with the law, and as it stands, the Path to Treaty Act is the law, and under the Path to Treaty Act, myself and other members, we have certain responsibilities, duties and functions,” Mr Creamer said.

“And given the inability of the government to be able to move swiftly, we’ve decided to recommence the work of the inquiry.”

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships minister Fiona Simpson earlier this month indefinitely postponed a planned meeting with Mr Creamer on the day they were meant to meet.

The Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson has held the seat since 1992, but says she has had close election battles over the years.

Now, the inquiry submissions portal will be reopened to the community, including key organisations and government departments, until at least January with plans to produce a report to be tabled in parliament.

“It is obvious that the inquiry will not to get the opportunity to run out its statutory term of three years, but nevertheless, it’s likely to be now several months before the government can actually do something about repealing the legislation,” Mr Creamer said.

Following the result of the election, truth telling hearings in Cherbourg and Stradbroke Island were forced to be cancelled and resulted in a ‘huge amount’ of stories lost, Mr Creamer said.

“They’ve obviously taken steps towards truth telling, but we prepared fourteen witnesses that would spend at least two or three hours each telling their evidence.

“The depth and detail of that type of history will be lost.”

Members of the community and unions have backed the inquiry with a public petition calling on the LNP government to reverse their decision garnering more than 8000 signatures.

“The lack of fundamental courtesy being demonstrated by the new Queensland government in ignoring the Commission’s repeated requests to meet with the relevant minister is disgraceful,” Queensland and Northern Territory independent Education Union Secretary Terry Burke said.

“It shows a lack of fundamental respect to First Nations Peoples, the Inquiry and those who have made submissions to date.”

Mr Creamer showed no concern ahead of the first sitting week of parliament, rather he doubted the repeal to the act could come into effect before Christmas.

“They could certainly repeal the legislation this week coming … they might be able to introduce the bill in December, I don’t know whether they’d be able to have that repeal bill come in force before Christmas.

“We certainly can’t sit around here for months and months and months and waiting for them to do something.”

Originally published as Qld’s Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry to reopen submissions