ANTAR (National), ANTaR Queensland, and the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) all contributed to this submission and welcome further opportunity to engage with the Committee or the Parliament regarding this very important Bill.
‘Our organisations have welcomed the Queensland Labor Government’s intention to explore and pursue a Treaty process with Queensland’s First Nations peoples at the time of, and since, former Deputy Premier Jackie Trad’s announcement about the ‘Tracks to Treaty’ process in July 2019. The subsequent work of the Treaty Working Group, the Eminent Panel and Treaty Advancement Committee, along with the establishment of a $300 million Path to Treaty fund to support the process, has been overall a positive progression. We now commend the Palaszczuk Labor Government on taking the next step, following the report of the Treaty Advancement Committee and its 22 recommendations for the Path to Treaty and the essential and complementary work of a Truth-telling and healing process for Queensland.’