Queensland is facing backlash as its Truth-Telling Inquiry grinds to a halt.

The Queensland Government’s decision to suspend the Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry has sparked significant criticism from Indigenous leaders, human rights advocates, and federal officials.

Newly appointed Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Fiona Simpson, is meeting with Inquiry Chair Joshua Creamer to discuss the Path to Treaty Act’s future. 

This follows Simpson’s directive to halt Inquiry operations pending the Act’s repeal.

Creamer, who said the meeting will determine the Inquiry's fate, expressed frustrations over limited government support. 

“We are unable to continue providing support to our participants, who are no doubt hurting. This stands in direct conflict with the trauma-informed approach mandated by the Act,” he said.

Critics have responded swiftly. 

Katie Kiss, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, labelled the decision “a major step backwards” for Indigenous Queenslanders and “disrespectful” to communities and those who worked hard to establish the Inquiry. 

Healing Foundation Chair Professor Steve Larkin lamented that Queensland remains one of only two states without redress for Stolen Generations survivors and cautioned that a repeal without alternatives threatens reconciliation efforts. 

Yoorrook Justice Commissioner Sue-Anne Hunter in Victoria underscored the long-term benefits of truth-telling, saying; “Governments come and go, but they can’t put a lid on history”.

The federal government has also weighed in, with Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy urging Queensland to “hold your horses” and let the Inquiry “roll through”.

“Voice, Treaty, Truth of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, is very much supported in principle by our government,” McCarthy said.

Premier David Crisafulli’s focus on Indigenous home ownership over the Inquiry has been another point of contention. Crisafulli has highlighted aspirations on Palm Island as a model for economic empowerment. 

However, Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey says that while economic development is essential, “Truth-telling is an important step forward for Indigenous communities and should still be on the agenda.”

The Truth-Telling and Healing Inquiry was created under the bipartisan Path to Treaty Act passed earlier this year, following five years of consultation. 

Since its start in September, the Inquiry has documented testimony from Stolen Generations survivors and senior officials, addressing systemic issues facing Indigenous Queenslanders. “The ones who shout loudest about threats of division acknowledge little of the division that is a legacy of our past,” Creamer said in a recent address.

The Queensland government’s repeal of the Path to Treaty Act could proceed as soon as November’s parliamentary session, leaving the fate of the Inquiry and its collected evidence uncertain. 

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