From 1904 to 1987, the Queensland Government withheld or underpaid wages earned by Aboriginal workers. The State Government has offered a settlement totaling $55million but this is only a fraction of the stolen wages.

ANTaR is currently running a “Stolen Wages” Campaign in support of Indigenous Queensland workers who have not received wages for which they are entitled – which ENIAR is supporting.

Fact sheet – researched by Dr. Rosalind Kidd

introduction

This fact sheet is to provide affected Aboriginal people, concerned members of the general public, and lobby groups with basic data upon which to assess the current Queensland Government campaign to shut down all litigation on unpaid, missing and misused wages, savings and trust funds during decades of government control.

A glance at the underpaid wages in any one year shows clearly that this buy-off is an insult which nowhere near acknowledges the level of financial confiscation endured by Aboriginal families. A glance at the legal data shows clearly the Queensland Government was constantly warned of systemic failures and of active and passive breaches of its duty as a legal Trustee, but failed ever to implement the necessary checks to prevent massive financial loss to its wards over many decades. Aboriginal poverty is largely a construct of this system.

level of financial confiscation endured by Aboriginal families. A glance at the legal data shows clearly the Queensland Government was constantly warned of systemic failures and of active and passive breaches of its duty as a legal Trustee, but failed ever to implement the necessary checks to prevent massive financial loss to its wards over many decades. Aboriginal poverty is largely a construct of this system. Queensland Premier Peter Beattie’s scare tactic that litigation will take many years and millions of dollars is solely determined by the government’s willingness or otherwise to provide promptly all information gathered to date for independent or judicial assessment.

Historical background