STOLEN WAGES

Most Australian States, for more than half the 20th century, operated systems whereby some or all of the income flowing to Aboriginal people from various sources was held in trust accounts for the benefit of the income earners. This money was to be used to assist them with costs of living, housing and the like. Some of that money was handed over as it was asked for by the Aboriginal people. However, even the handing over was only done with the approval of the government-appointed trustees. Large amounts of money were never handed over, even when the trust schemes were wound up, whilst a great deal of the documentation was lost or destroyed, making claims under civil law almost impossible for those who have lost out.

Both the Queensland and New South Wales governments have recently set up schemes to provide some measure of compensation. In Queensland, the compensation scheme offers eligible claimants a settlement of $2000 or $4000 (depending on certain criteria), and there has been an apology in Parliament. However, claimants are required to waive all legal rights for further action under civil law. All up, the Queensland government scheme has $55 million available, although it is estimated that $500 million in today's terms was held back from Aboriginal people in that State.  In NSW, the Government in 2004 set up a panel to investigate how best to deal with the issue, and the recommendations of the Aboriginal Trust Fund Reparation Scheme Panel are now being evaluated by both government and potential claimants.

This is an area in which practical reconciliation means returning the money or maintaining acts of theft. 
As Dr Ros Kidd, who has headed up the research effort, said on Human Rights Day 2003:
"In every State Aboriginal workers were similarly cheated of their wages, their child endowment entitlements and their inheritances. We need to determine the extent of Aboriginal labour and its contribution to the development of our nation; we need to ascertain how this labour was valued by those who used it, in terms of both cash and skills. We need to estimate the financial loss to workers through discounted wages, theft, fraud, and incompetent accounting. We need to put a figure on the profits of the pastoral industry and the States as they exploited this disempowered social group for their convenience. We need to explode the damnable myths of Aboriginal ineptitude, indolence and financial incompetence which are still peddled today as some sort of "racial" explanation for contemporary destitution and despair."

for more information and how you can act on this major justice issue:

Queensland Stolen Wages Group - contact Christine Howes
Queensland Council of Unions stolen wages pages
ANTaR Queensland

Background articles by Dr.Ros Kidd

CHECK OUT the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council background paper

ENIAR pages on NSW campaign