Emma Garlett: Government must acknowledge injustices of past of First Nations people in order to move forward

Queensland has a new government. Labor’s nine year reign in the State has ended and the Liberal-National Party has come out on top.

With a Federal election likely just six months away, it’s a result that is being carefully analysed by both sides of Parliament.

As a State, Queensland has been on a positive journey in relation to Indigenous affairs.

In July, a Truth-telling and Healing inquiry began hearings, seeking previously unheard perspectives on the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

It’s important, ground-breaking and trailblazing work and is expected to take at least three years.

And it’s work that must be carried through by Queensland’s new governing party. It’s too important to become politicised.

Truth-telling is the process of uncovering the real history of Australia, through the eyes of First Nations Australians.

History is written by the victors, and throughout our nation’s troubling past, it’s been the colonising forces who have been the victors.

This has left many stories untold, inaccuracies uncorrected, and injustices unremedied.

Truth-telling allows everyone to understand the reality, impacts and stories of past government-sponsored violence and will help repair relationships between survivors and victims’ families and governments and the rest of the community. It will help us move forward together, unified.

Together, we have an opportunity to shift the narrative, and to write a true history which is representative of all Australians.

It’s crucial work, and it must be led by us Indigenous people with support from our allies who walk beside us.

The new Queensland government has a chance to do what is right by all Australians. I hope new Premier David Crisafulli and the LNP see the importance of reconciliation, truth-telling and justice for First Nations peoples. Much of the work has started, resources have been allocated, voices are being heard, and hearts have been opened. Closing this off prematurely is not the right thing to do. It is of national and international importance that they stay the course.

Knowing the truth about our past is important to our future. Building a society and an economy which excludes certain groups limits our potential as a whole.

It’s taken us a long time to get here.

Australia’s colonial history began in 1788, when the British penal colony of NSW was first established.

That’s 236 years ago. It’s taken us that long to begin the long and arduous work of listening, hearing stories that we previously haven’t wanted to acknowledge.

Truth-telling is painful for us too.

Talking about the horrors and injustices of the past can be deeply retraumatising. But our Elders are getting older. We have no time to waste. This work is urgent.

We can’t afford any more delays, or further truths will be lost to time as our old people won’t be around to tell them.

We must continue recording our stories, documenting our past and preserving our history — even the ugly bits — for future generations.

Perhaps one day soon the WA will have its own moment of truth-telling.

With a Federal election on the horizon, we have a further opportunity to amplify the need for this work, and ensure these experiences aren’t lost.

These processes are vital to Australia’s story, our history, and our future. They need to stay in place for a just and sustainable future.