“Luminary, and our partners, acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of Australia’s unceded lands, rivers and waterways. We recognise their resilience and unbroken spiritual connection to country and culture and the role we all play as allies on the journey to self-determination. We pay our respects to Elders of the past, present and future and the role they play in knowledge transfer and the development of future generations.”

Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry under Path to Treaty Act 2023

An inquiry into historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders and truth-telling and healing for all Queenslanders.

Expressions of interest for

Truth-Telling & Healing Inquiry

Chairperson & Inquiry Members

Applications closed, contact luminary@luminarypartners.com.au

Path to Treaty

‘This Path to Treaty is a journey, not for the timid, but for those who are courageous to confront our uncomfortable past, the curious who long to find out and live with the truth, and the optimists who dream of the possibilities of a future where we live comfortably with the past, free of blame and rancour because we commit to not repeating those things that shame us.’ – Excerpt from Queensland’s Path to Treaty Commitment August 2022 Queensland’s Path to Treaty Commitment

After the historic ‘Path to Treaty’ bill passed earlier in 2023 in regional parliament in Cairns, Queensland prepares for treaty-making between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Luminary is partnering with the Queensland Government via the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts to set up the foundations of the Path to Treaty Act 2023.

The Path to Treaty Act 2023 will establish a First Nations Treaty Institute and a formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry.

Initially a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Chairperson and Inquiry Members of the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry. The recruitment of a Chairperson and Inquiry Members under the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
- 1 of the five will be the Chairperson.
- Five (5) Inquiry members are to be appointed out of this process.
This will follow with the recruitment of a Senior Executive Director to support the Inquiry.

Thank you for your interest in becoming part of this historic Inquiry.

Listen to Kaia Sheen speak about what Treaty means to her.

Truth-telling & Healing Inquiry

The objectives of the Inquiry are to chronicle the history of colonisation and impacts on First Nations peoples; ‘do no harm’ in the conduct of the Inquiry by adopting the principles of free, prior and informed consent and a trauma-informed approach; promote public awareness, inform education and develop shared understandings of First Nations cultures, histories, languages and traditions; and to link with the treaty-making process and provide recommendations to inform treaty-making.

The Inquiry, once established, will:

provide a public platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to share their experiences
listen to and record the stories shared
hold a formal Inquiry into the historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation in Queensland including previous acts of Governments
raise awareness about why the treaty process is important for a reconciled Queensland
inform education and develop shared understandings of First Nations cultures, histories, languages, and traditions
report the findings of the Inquiry to the Queensland Government
make recommendations to inform treaty-making.

The Inquiry will be conducted by five members and membership of the Inquiry must have:

• a majority of First Nations people

• at least one Aboriginal Member

• at least one Torres Strait Islander Member

• at least one Member to be a senior lawyer with experience relevant to the Inquiry

• gender diversity.

The Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry presents a unique opportunity in Queensland’s history to reframe the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Queenslanders, and non-Indigenous Queenslanders.

Why is truth-telling and healing an important step on our Path to Treaty?

Any treaty must be based on truth. The truth about our past will help Queenslanders understand how modern Queensland came to be, but it may be difficult and traumatic. That is why truth-telling must be combined with healing.

Queenslanders have told us that they wish to hear and record the history of our state through a truth-telling and healing process. Hearing the truth about our shared histories helps us to understand how past laws, policies and practices have, and continue to, impact Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It also helps us to heal. It is an important step on the Path to Treaty.

The Treaty Advancement Committee’s report recommended a two-stage approach to truth-telling and healing:

local truth-telling and healing activities working with our public institutions – for example, the Queensland State Library, museums, Queensland State Archives, and art galleries
a formal Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry set up under legislation, for a period of three years.

Councillors of Mornington Island speak about how the Path to Treaty is not about what happened in the past but moving forward in the present and coming together now as one.

The Path to Treaty timeline:

With the signing of Queensland’s Path to Treaty Commitment, we have reached a historic milestone on the journey to reconciliation.

The Path to Treaty journey began in 2019 with the release of the Statement of Commitment to reframe the relationship between the Queensland Government and Aboriginal Peoples and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

Important information for candidates

Position Descriptions for each advertised role:

We invite you to download the position description of the advertised roles and learn of the requirements and attributes of our ideal candidate(s). Please click the button below of the role of your interest to download the Position Description.

Chairperson - Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry

Inquiry Member(s) - Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry

Truth-telling & Healing Inquiry:

Chairperson & Inquiry Members

Chairperson

The Chairperson of the Inquiry will be an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who will provide high level leadership in the conduct of the Inquiry.

The suitable candidate will be a person of integrity who brings a reputation of advocating for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland and is held in esteem in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, and in the Queensland community more generally.

You will have experience in leading a team in a challenging environment and have a proven track record in the conduct of inquiries, reviews, commissions and/or research in the public arena.

You will be the public face of the Inquiry and will be able to stimulate confidence of the community that the Inquiry will lead to positive change and acknowledge complete history of the colonisation of Queensland.

The key responsibilities of the Chairperson will include:
- Leadership of the five member Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry that is trauma-informed, culturally safe and supports the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
- Delivery of reports to the Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Communities and the Arts in accordance with the timeframes and parameters set in the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
- Hold Inquiry hearings and direct Inquiry Members on Inquiry sessions in accordance with the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
- Day-to-day management of the Inquiry’s functions, including ensuring effective and efficient administration and operation of the Inquiry.
- Entering into arrangements with the Chief Executive of the Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts in relation to the following:
  - the services of officers or employees of the department to be made available to the Inquiry;
  - other resources or facilities of the department to be made available to the Inquiry.
- The Chairperson will be supported by the Senior Executive Director to whom administrative functions may be delegated under the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
We are looking to find the person best suited for the role. We will choose this person by undertaking a holistic assessment and considering what you have done previously – the knowledge, skills and experience you have built, your ability to lead, your potential to make a key contribution to the future of Queensland, your personal qualities and how they contribute to building a diverse workforce that complements existing teams and reflects the diverse views, experiences and backgrounds of all Queenslanders.
To be successful in this role you will be required to demonstrate competency in relation to technical requirements of the role as well as the Leadership competencies for Queensland, as outlined in the full downloadable position description below.
It is a legislated and genuine occupational requirement that this position be filled by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.

Inquiry Member(s)

The Inquiry Members will work as part of a team in a challenging environment to conduct truth-telling sessions and hearings to chronicle the history of colonisation in Queensland and impacts on First Nations peoples. They will help promote public awareness of the Inquiry and help develop recommendations to promote a shared understanding of First Nations cultures, histories, languages and traditions.

Inquiry Members will be able to stimulate confidence of the community that the Inquiry will lead to positive change and acknowledge the complete history of the colonisation of Queensland.

The key responsibilities of the Inquiry Member will include:
- Supporting the Inquiry Chairperson to deliver a Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry that is trauma-informed, culturally safe and supports the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
- Leadership of Inquiry sessions as directed by the Inquiry Chairperson and participation in Inquiry hearings in accordance with the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
- Support the Chairperson in the delivery of reports to the Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Communities and the Arts in accordance with the timeframes and parameters set in the Path to Treaty Act 2023.
We’re looking to find people best suited for the role. We will choose these people by undertaking a holistic assessment and considering what you have done previously – the knowledge, skills and experience you have built, your ability to lead, your potential to make a key contribution to the future of Queensland, your personal qualities and how they contribute to building a diverse workforce that complements existing teams and reflects the diverse views, experiences and backgrounds of all Queenslanders.
We promote a respectful workplace culture that is free from all forms of harassment, workplace bullying, discrimination and violence. We respect, protect and promote human rights, including through our recruitment processes. The department is proud of its White Ribbon Australia (WRA) Workplace Accreditation as part of a commitment to prevent domestic and family violence.
To be successful in this role you will be required to demonstrate competency in relation to technical requirements of the role as well as the Leadership competencies for Queensland, as outlined in the full downloadable position description below.

Position Descriptions

We invite you to download the Position Description of the advertised roles and learn of the requirements and attributes of our ideal candidate(s). Please click the button below of the role of your interest to download the Position Description.

Chairperson

Inquiry Member(s)

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