Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry

Queensland's new premier has ordered the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry to cease immediately as one of his first acts, but the decision has raised concern among Indigenous communities.

The inquiry was launched in early 2024 to examine the impacts of colonisation on First Nations people.

But newly-elected Premier David Crisafulli has confirmed the new government will be ceasing all future Truth Telling across the state immediately.

The chair of Queensland’s truth-telling and healing inquiry, Joshua Creamer, says the new premier, David Crisafulli, should “just have the decency to front up” to First Nations people, after delivering an edict via the media for the inquiry to immediately cease its work.

Mr Creamer, a Waanyi and Kalkadoon man, told reporters earlier this month after news broke that the inquiry had been cancelled, he had still received no communication from the Premier or any member of the new LNP Government.

As a Gamilaraay, Ngurabul First Nation descendant and the Protect Country Strategist for the Queensland Conservation Council, I respectfully acknowledge all our strong proud old Aunties and Uncles and other First Nations people and communities that have been campaigning for a very long time for us to tell our stories of trauma and transgenerational trauma and how various government policies have had negative physical, mental, social and political impacts on our people.

Growing up on a government controlled mission, I truly understood these impacts and I, along with many First Nations people and communities, believed that an inquiry such as this was truly needed.

But along with other First Nations people I feel like we have been kicked in the guts and sent back before the 1967 Referendum, with NO RIGHTS left for us in 2024.

Within QCC, one of our core mandates is that we have proudly supported the Reconciliation Action Plan, Closing the Gap and other important political and more importantly, social and environmental issues that First Nations People face today.

Paul Spearim
Protect Country Strategist
Queensland Conservation Council

Hayley Troupe

It is a privilege to live on and be a voice for the incredible wildlife and landscapes of the state we call Qld. With that privilege comes responsibility to continue to learn about First Nation cultures connected to those landscapes and understand the ongoing impacts of colonisation. As the Premier of Qld David Crisafulli must stop ignoring history, listen to Qld’s First Peoples and commit to truth-telling, healing and treaty.

Jenny Brown

Queensland’s natural beauty is inseparable from its cultural heritage, yet honouring this heritage requires leadership willing to engage with the truth of our past. Premier David Crisafulli has a responsibility to listen to First Nations communities and take meaningful steps toward truth-telling, healing, and treaty. This is a path forward for a more unified Queensland.

Kanchana Pathirana

To understand, connect, respect and protect this beautiful land we live in, we must acknowledge, listen and learn from our past. The many untold stories of First Nations people and their communities in Meanjin and all across Queensland are part of our history, impact our present and are inextricably linked to protecting the rights of our precious environment. As the new Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli must embrace and encourage truth telling and healing to honour the rights of our First Nations communities. Truth telling is not a big ask and a way for us all to acknowledge our past and create a healing path for a just and unified Queensland.

Nicky Moffat

The truth telling inquiry represented hope to so many people, hope that together First Nations and non-Indigenous Queenslanders could confront the past, correct the history books, and move forward together. Now more than ever it’s so important we stand with our First Nations friends, show our support in any way we can.

Anthony Gough

The wrongs of the past still echo today. We can’t ignore them just because it makes us uncomfortable - there’s too much at stake. We have to listen and learn from the past in order to heal the hurt and devastation of colonialism and build strong, united communities for generations to come.

Truth-telling is a gift - a long-overdue opportunity to truly understand the injustices faced by Queensland’s First Nations communities, and learn from their enduring strength in the face of tremendous hardship.

It is a hard but necessary journey for Queensland to take - instead of turning away from that path we need to walk it together in bravery and solidarity.

Cassandra Bennett

I am profoundly saddened by the decision to dismantle the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry - a process that promised to honour and preserve the voices and lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This abrupt end silences invaluable stories, extinguishing a path toward healing and a truthful understanding of our shared history. The wisdom of First Nations communities in caring for Country teaches us about harmony, stewardship, and deep connection with the land - lessons we should embrace, not dismiss. This decision is a tremendous setback, and I stand in solidarity with all who courageously shared their stories in the hope of reconciliation.

Dave Copeman

We need a treaty. All of us, as Queenslanders, will benefit from the process of engaging, listening and seeking to resolve our connection to the land we live on, and the First Nations that have lived here for millennia before my ancestors arrived. Delaying the pathway to treaty is a setback, a missed opportunity to this reaching this better place.

Clare Silcock

The profound legacy of colonialisation continue to impact First Nations people and hold us back from achieving a safe, unified future for all Queenslanders. Stopping the Truth Telling and Healing Inquiry is a backwards step, no matter what other policies are in place, because we can’t move forward until we acknowledge and understand the truth and hurt of the past.

 

 

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