Legal recognition of Indigenous status

Current topic
Published in the HealthBulletin
Posted on:
13 February, 2013
Issue
Vol 13 No 1, January 2013 – March 2013
Related topics
Current topics Policies

The House of Representatives has passed legislation recognising Indigenous Australian peoples as the first inhabitants of Australia.

The passage of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ recognition bill 2012 through the Lower House occurred on the five year anniversary of the date on which former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd apologised to the Stolen generations. The bill is considered an interim step on the path towards an eventual referendum for constitutional change.

Prior to the passing of the bill, Social Justice Commissioner, Mick Gooda, said that it could assist in increasing and improving Australian Indigenous peoples’ ‘resilience, self-worth and relationship with the broader Australian community …. this recognition will be of great benefit to the Australian nation as a whole in coming to terms with our past in such a positive manner.’

The legislation passed with unanimous support.

Sources: ABC news, NACCHO communiqué

  • Contact details:
    •  Simon Cullen, Chief Political Correspondent, ABC News, contactable through ABC News.
      View link
    • Colin Cowell, National Communications and Media Advisor, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO), Ph: (02) 6246 9309, Fax: (02) 6248 0744, Email: colin@naccho.org.au

Contact us

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Edith Cowan University
2 Bradford Street
Mt Lawley WA 6050
+61 8 9370 6336

View our Disclaimer and Privacy statement

Helping to close the gap by providing the evidence base to inform practice and policy in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health

The Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters of Australia and the Torres Strait.

We respect all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people—their customs and their beliefs. We also pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, with particular acknowledgement to the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation, the Traditional Owners of the lands where our offices are located.

This product, excluding the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet logo, artwork, and any material owned by a third party or protected by a trademark, has been released under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) licence. Excluded material owned by third parties may include, for example, design and layout, images obtained under licence from third parties and signatures.