Rachel Siewert (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a)

notes with sadness the passing of Yvonne Butler, a Townsville elder and a tireless campaigner for social justice and Indigenous rights;

(b)

acknowledges the important role that Yvonne played in highlighting the injustice done to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers whose paid labour was controlled by the Government and which was instrumental in the establishment of the inquiry into stolen wages by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and also led to an apology and reparations scheme from the Queensland Government;

(c)

recognises Yvonne’s bravery in coming forward to tell her story and the stories of her family, the important impact of her tireless efforts to encourage others to do the same and acknowledges the unanimous finding of the committee report, Unfinished business: Indigenous stolen wages, that for many Indigenous Australians whose wages and benefits were withheld across Australia this remains unfinished business; and

(d)

offers its condolences to her family and friends.

Question agreed to.