ANTaR Queensland: 7 Apr 08: Stolen Wages update
Source: ANTaR Queensland
Email: office@antarqld.org.au
The protests against the Government’s 2nd Round offer to ‘finalise the Stolen Wages issue’ continues to grow.
Last week meetings were held in Brisbane, Townsville, Rockhampton and further meetings are planned.
Please keep in touch with community members in your region for details of further meetings.
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Stolen Wages Public Meeting, Brisbane – Monday 14th April 2008
Jagera Centre, 121 Cordelia Street, South Brisbane at 12 noon (light lunch)
Decide on actions to be taken against the government decision to use Stolen Wages reparation funds for educational scholarships
Support and respect Indigenous decision-making
Townsville:
Palm Island retired councillor Jabob Baira said Indigenous people deserved to be paid back what had been taken from them.
Rockhampton:
The Elders reject the Government’s proposed distribution of the remaining $35M of the Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparation Scheme.
Brisbane:
People at the meeting said that the government should respect the wishes expressed by Indigenous communities, and pay all of the remaining funds to the workers.
Meeting called by: Stolen Wages Claimants, Stolen Wages Working Group & ANTaR Qld
All Welcome
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Reports from Meetings in Rockhampton, Brisbane and Townsville:
Fitzroy Basin Elders Committee (Rockhampton)
Statement from Meeting held on Monday 31 March 2008
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders who gathered at today’s meeting remain dissatisfied with and reject the Government’s proposed distribution of the remaining $35M of the Indigenous Wages and Savings Reparation Scheme.
Many are still disappointed and feel that they are entitled to a more appropriate compensation – equal to what had been taken from the wages that they had honestly earned through hard and sometimes backbreaking work.
There was unanimous rejection of the proposal to place what ever the remaining funds are – after the next round of payments – approx. $20M, into a Trust Fund for educational opportunities for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The Government is responsible for Education and already provides funding for this purpose.
With regard to the issue of families of deceased people being unable to submit a claim on their behalf, the Community feels that this is unjust as this money is a legacy from them to their families and they should be able to benefit from it. As such, family members should be able to submit claims on behalf of their deceased relatives who would be entitled to claim.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of this community, make a call that the funds remaining after the next round of payment – approx $20M – not be put into a Trust Funds for educational opportunities for our young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as the State Government is already providing funding for the education of all young Queenslanders, both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous.
This money should be distributed in full to all those previously successful applicants, who through hard work, blood, sweat and tears, rightfully earned it but wrongfully had it taken from them in the first place.
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Stolen Wages Meeting
Jagera Centre 3.30pm Monday 31st March 2008.
More than 70 people attended the meeting including visiting Prison Chaplains and Senator Andrew Bartlett. Media representatives received permission to attend and report on the meeting.
Aunty Ruth Hegarty reported on Queensland Cabinet’s decision to pay small top-up payment to those eligible claimants who previously received $4000 and $2000 based on their age and place the remainder of the $36M into an Education Trust to provide scholarships for young Indigenous people. A report was received from the Townsville meeting, also occurring today.
All meeting attendees expressed their disappointment and anger at the Cabinet's decision to pay eligible claimants only part of the balance of the reparation funds. This especially goes against wishes of the overwhelming majority of people statewide who indicated that their only preference was to use the reparation funds to pay eligible people their unpaid wages - their strong preference was for Option 1 which was direct payment of the balance of $36M to claimants.
Discussion also surrounded the inadequacy of the original offer, such as the exclusion of the money earned by people deceased before 2002, and the very small amounts offered which don't reflect the amounts people had earned.
Because funding for education is the responsibility of the Queensland Government, the remainder of the Stolen Wages Reparation package should not be used for educational purposes. Attendees felt strongly that the community recommendations to recompense the remainder of the $36M to claimants as wages should be respected by the government.
The meeting resolved to show its rejection of Cabinet’s decision through a number of recommendations:
l Keep the Welfare Fund separate from the Wages Reparation fund;
l Seek an injunction to stop Government from combining the two funds established for different purposes;
l Consider court action at state, national and international level;
l Approach the UN and the International Labour Organisation for assistance;
l Consider holding a national/state forum
l Hold a protest march and encourage young people to participate to express their views on their scholarship scheme
l Hold sit-ins at government offices
l Put pressure on politicians – state and federal – letters, visits; follow up on senate inquiry
l Hold another meeting with State Government representatives to voice community concerns regarding Cabinet decision.
l Sign a petition to register disapproval about Government decision
l Meet in West End and enlist support of non-Indigenous supporters who live in the Premier, Anna Bligh's electorate;
l Demonstrate outside the Premier’s electoral office;
l Write letters to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Minister Jenny Macklin
l Maintain liaison with the people in North Qld regarding their position
l Aunty Ruth Hegarty to inform media outlets of communities’ position.
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3rd April 2008
Stolen Wages Recipients Appeal to all Taxpayers for Support against the Qld Government for ripping off their hard earned Wages!
Indigenous taxpayers whose wages were ripped off by the Qld government over the past decades are appealing to all Australian taxpayers to support the on-going fight to regain every last dollar stolen from them.
The Qld Cabinet recent announcement to establish an Education Scholarship Fund with the remainder of the $25 million has outraged Stolen Wages recipients who by rights should receive the remainder of the funds that is still owed to them.
Political activists and elders have slammed the attitudes of the Federal Member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay’s comments to “Get Over It!” as childish and un-Australian.
We challenge Mr Lindsay and Lindy Nelson Carr the Minister for Communities to ask the Australian taxpayers “If you as an Australian taxpayer worked for up to 25 years and your employer ripped off your money and then offered you 2% of your wages in return ..would you be satisfied with that?”
Political activist Gracelyn Smallwood says “That comments by the Member for Herbert and Minister for Communities that we need to forget about the past is just a smokescreen to the public to make out that we want another handout when it is hard earned wages that were talking about! Would Peter Lindsay and Lindy Nelson Carr say that to the ex-veterans that “They should get over it” and not be compensated for their past service as Australians? I doubt that very much!”
We are appealing to the general public to support the Stolen Wages Protest Rally tomorrow Friday 4 April starting 10am which will be gathering at the Vale Hotel Car Park before marching to Lindy Nelson Carrs Officer on the next block.
All are invited to bring placards, water bottles and hats.
Let your voices be heard…it could be you next that the government wants to rip off!
For further information contact:
Yvonne Butler (07) 47288394 & Gracelyn Smallwood 0438004777
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ANTaR Qld Association Inc
Office 10, 25-27 Cordelia Street
South Brisbane Qld 4101
Phone/Fax (07) 3844 9800
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This update was posted by WGAR: Working Group for Aboriginal Rights (Australia)
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