THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs has launched an inquiry today into pathways and participation opportunities for Indigenous Australians in employment and business.
Committee chair Julian Leeser MP said Indigenous Australians often face tougher barriers when seeking employment or starting their own business.
"It is vital that we address this to ensure a more prosperous future for First Nations peoples," Mr Leeser said.
The committee will consult with a wide a range of stakeholders on proposals that will create better economic opportunities for Indigenous people.
"We will aim to speak with a range of stakeholders including First Nations people, Indigenous-owned enterprises, relevant peak organisations, as well as State and Federal policymakers and other people involved in employment services and small business lending," Mr Leeser said.
For more information about the inquiry, including its terms of reference and instructions on making a submission, visit the committee’s webpage.
AS PART of a Federal Parliament inquiry into economic engagement with Traditional Owners, Members of Parliament are travelling to Cairns, Hope Vale and the Torres Strait.
The Northern Australia Committee is holding public hearings in Far North Queensland this week, and will hear evidence from Land Councils, Native Title holders, local councils and other stakeholders.
In its submission, the Cape York Land Council highlighted the importance of land to the economic and cultural wellbeing of Indigenous Australians and the economic development of Northern Australia. It noted that "the economic development potential of Aboriginal freehold land is yet to be fully realised because of significant constraints on utilising the rights inherent in this tenure".
It also emphasised that the "reform strategy to enhance the use of Aboriginal freehold land must maintain the communal and inalienable character of Aboriginal land ownership".
Meanwhile, the Gur A Baradharaw Kod (GBK) Sea and Land Council, representing Traditional Owners in the Torres Strait, urged the transfer of funding and administrative responsibility to Traditional Owners. It believed that "many, if not all government functions in the Torres Strait should be transferred to the Traditional Owner bodies", including Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate, Land Trusts and GBK itself.
Committee Chair Warren Entsch said it is important to engage Traditional Owners in the economic development of Northern Australia.
"The key is finding ways to use land rights and native title to create economic opportunities which benefit everyone, generating wealth without undermining land rights or native title," he said.
"The evidence presented to the committee has already suggested some useful ideas and we expect to get more as we travel to meet with Traditional Owners."
The committee will hold public hearings in Cairns, Hope Vale and on Thursday Island. Programs are available on the committee’s website.
Public hearing details
Date: Tuesday, 29 October 2019 Time: 9am to 4:30pm Location: Council Chambers, 119-145 Spence St, Cairns Witnesses include:
"The bills have strong intentions and will become important tools, particularly in fighting identity crime," Mr Hastie said.
"Together, the bills aim to make identity-matching easier for prescribed entities whose responsibility it is to safeguard citizens and to reduce identity theft."
The report recommends that the Bills be re-drafted according to principles relating to privacy, transparency, governance, and user obligations.
THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomes new laws passed by the Queensland Government to deter people from using dangerous devices that deliberately increase the risk of injury to themselves, emergency services workers and members of the public.
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the Summary Offences and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2019, passed last night in parliament, was the right step forward in ensuring the rights of all Queenslanders were upheld.
“Everyone has the right to protest but everyone also has the right to commute to work safely, operate trains without fearing they will injure or kill someone and for ambulance drivers not to be impeded by protestors connecting themselves to concrete drums on the road,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“QRC had urged the Parliament to consider both the Government legislation and the LNP’s private members bill to address illegal trespass.
“We welcome the Parliament’s commitment to this important issue that affects every Queenslander.
“The new laws make it an offence to use attachment devices to block transport corridors and I applaud the Palaszczuk Government for acting before someone is seriously injured. We’ve seen too much illegal and unsafe behaviour with activists deploying dangerous devices on rail lines and at ports.
“Our sector prioritises safety and these laws send a clear message to activists who use extreme actions," Mr Macfarlane said.
“The laws passed the Parliament with an overwhelming majority, including both the Government and the LNP.
“QRC welcomes this cross-Parliament commitment to uphold the safety for all Queenslanders, and especially those who work on railways, at ports or at other infrastructure projects.”
Mr Macfarlane urged all Parliamentarians to ensure the laws were operationally sufficient for the Queensland Police Service, particularly if protestors amend devices to avoid the offences the Parliament has just passed.
THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell said there has been an overwhelming public response to the Insolvency Practices Inquiry since it was launched two weeks ago.
“My office has already received 113 survey responses and a number of submissions in relation to this inquiry and we expect that number to grow,” Ms Carnell said.
“While we are still in the early stages of the inquiry, it’s clear there’s a groundswell of public support for the work we are doing in this area.
“Primarily the Insolvency Practices Inquiry will shine a light on the insolvency system and uncover if it encourages practitioners, in the first instance, to restructure the small or family business to turn it around. We will also look at the transparency and fairness of the current system.
“We know there is a very low success rate in restructuring Australian businesses under external administration and the impact of the insolvency process is often devastating for the small business owner.
“Few small businesses that enter formal insolvency administration are able to navigate their way through the process to reach a restructuring agreement," Ms Carnell said.
“We remain very keen to hear from small and family businesses that have faced financial difficulties and restructured or wound up their business.
“I encourage these businesses to share their stories by completing our online survey or provide a submission to my office via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
“Many small businesses that have faced difficulties, felt they lost control of their business and in cases where the business was ultimately wound up, they felt the process was poorly managed," Ms Carnell said.
“This inquiry will identify areas where practices can be improved. I will also recommend changes to the system to achieve a fairer outcome for all parties involved.”
An interim report will be released in December with a final report to be handed down in February.
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