❓ A parliamentary question regarding the WA government's handling of stolen wages owed to Aboriginal workers, focusing on financial modelling, taskforce recommendations, and compensation. The government's response deflects some questions by referring to a publicly available report and states no further policy commitments.
AnsweredQoN 3727Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the media report released by ABC Journalist, Sarah Dingle on Sunday, 6 September 2015, WA's stolen
wages shame , and ask: (a) did the Government commission financial modelling by Barton Consulting to determine actuary sums of how much the State of Western Australia owes its Aboriginal workers; (b) what were the calculations of the amount of Commonwealth
benefits stolen from Aboriginal people en masse under a State Government system; (c) was a taskforce set up to provide final recommendations to the Government in 2008 regarding the stolen wages reparation scheme; (d) if yes to (c), who were the members, how were they appointed and what was the terms of appointment; (e) will the Minister table the taskforce's final recommendations; (f) if no to (e), why not; (g) was the taskforce's
final recommendations to Government in 2008, regarding the stolen wages reparation
scheme said to cost $71 million, with up to 3,000 workers thought to be still alive
who could make a claim; (h) did the Department of Treasury agree that individual payouts
would be as high as $78,000 for those workers identified in (g); (i) did monies
stolen by pastoralists, churches and private individuals as stolen wages contribute to the stolen generation as families did not have money to care for their children; (j) why was there a four year delay in the Government progressing recommendations by the taskforce; (k) would the Minister agree that there has been a direct failure of duty of the Government to protect Aboriginal people since under the Act, and up until 1972, Aboriginal people were under the direct
supervision of the Commissioner; (l) although the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs claimed “you simply cannot put a
figure on the stolen wages which would have rigour and accuracy", how did the Minister and/or the department then calculate and provide a figure of a maximum payout of $2,000 each, even
though there was detailed actuary modelling commissioned by the Australian
Government; (m) will the Minister table the documents provided by Barton Consulting; (n) if no to (m), why not; (o) although the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs previously claimed that "unfortunately, due to the complexity of trust
accounts in Western Australia, the significant lack of surviving records and
the passage of time, the taskforce could not develop an actuarial model that
could illuminate the true value or full impact of any compensation", does the Minister now agree that he and/or his department has, and always has had, enough evidence that proves people were owed more than $2,000; (p) if no to (o), why not; and (q) based on the documents provided by Barton Consulting, will the Minister undertake action to provide proper compensation to those impacted by stolen wages?
wages shame , and ask: (a) did the Government commission financial modelling by Barton Consulting to determine actuary sums of how much the State of Western Australia owes its Aboriginal workers; (b) what were the calculations of the amount of Commonwealth
benefits stolen from Aboriginal people en masse under a State Government system; (c) was a taskforce set up to provide final recommendations to the Government in 2008 regarding the stolen wages reparation scheme; (d) if yes to (c), who were the members, how were they appointed and what was the terms of appointment; (e) will the Minister table the taskforce's final recommendations; (f) if no to (e), why not; (g) was the taskforce's
final recommendations to Government in 2008, regarding the stolen wages reparation
scheme said to cost $71 million, with up to 3,000 workers thought to be still alive
who could make a claim; (h) did the Department of Treasury agree that individual payouts
would be as high as $78,000 for those workers identified in (g); (i) did monies
stolen by pastoralists, churches and private individuals as stolen wages contribute to the stolen generation as families did not have money to care for their children; (j) why was there a four year delay in the Government progressing recommendations by the taskforce; (k) would the Minister agree that there has been a direct failure of duty of the Government to protect Aboriginal people since under the Act, and up until 1972, Aboriginal people were under the direct
supervision of the Commissioner; (l) although the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs claimed “you simply cannot put a
figure on the stolen wages which would have rigour and accuracy", how did the Minister and/or the department then calculate and provide a figure of a maximum payout of $2,000 each, even
though there was detailed actuary modelling commissioned by the Australian
Government; (m) will the Minister table the documents provided by Barton Consulting; (n) if no to (m), why not; (o) although the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs previously claimed that "unfortunately, due to the complexity of trust
accounts in Western Australia, the significant lack of surviving records and
the passage of time, the taskforce could not develop an actuarial model that
could illuminate the true value or full impact of any compensation", does the Minister now agree that he and/or his department has, and always has had, enough evidence that proves people were owed more than $2,000; (p) if no to (o), why not; and (q) based on the documents provided by Barton Consulting, will the Minister undertake action to provide proper compensation to those impacted by stolen wages?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2015
Responded by
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Response time
42 days
a. Yes. The methodologies used by the Stolen Wages Taskforce included modelling undertaken for the Taskforce by Barton Consulting Proprietary Limited.
b. The Taskforce's report, provided to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in July 2008, found that due to the complexity of the systems in place at the time, and the passage of time, it would not be possible to calculate and repay actual moneys to the individuals still living who may have been affected.
(c) - (e)
The Member is referred to the 2008 report of the Stolen Wages Taskforce, released to the public in March 2012, which includes the information sought in these questions.
(f) Not applicable
(g) No. Refer to (c) - (e).
(h) Not to my knowledge.
(i) The impacts of controls over Aboriginal people's money during the period 1905 to 1972 are documented in the Taskforce report. In preparing the report, the Taskforce consulted extensively with Aboriginal people across Western Australia.
(j) The Government took time to assess the report and determine an appropriate response.
(k) Refer to (i).
(l) The $2,000 ex gratia payment offered through the Stolen Wages Reparation Scheme was not an attempt to repay wages that were withheld, but rather was an acknowledgment that the practice of withholding wages did occur.
(m) - (n) No. The documents prepared by Barton Consulting were intended to assist the considerations of the Stolen Wages Taskforce in preparing its report to the Government in July 2008. The report has been made available to the public and includes the findings and recommendations of the Taskforce.
(o) Refer to answer for (a) - (e).
(p) Not applicable.
(q) The Government has no further policy commitments in relation to the issue of 'stolen wages' in Western Australia.
b. The Taskforce's report, provided to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in July 2008, found that due to the complexity of the systems in place at the time, and the passage of time, it would not be possible to calculate and repay actual moneys to the individuals still living who may have been affected.
(c) - (e)
The Member is referred to the 2008 report of the Stolen Wages Taskforce, released to the public in March 2012, which includes the information sought in these questions.
(f) Not applicable
(g) No. Refer to (c) - (e).
(h) Not to my knowledge.
(i) The impacts of controls over Aboriginal people's money during the period 1905 to 1972 are documented in the Taskforce report. In preparing the report, the Taskforce consulted extensively with Aboriginal people across Western Australia.
(j) The Government took time to assess the report and determine an appropriate response.
(k) Refer to (i).
(l) The $2,000 ex gratia payment offered through the Stolen Wages Reparation Scheme was not an attempt to repay wages that were withheld, but rather was an acknowledgment that the practice of withholding wages did occur.
(m) - (n) No. The documents prepared by Barton Consulting were intended to assist the considerations of the Stolen Wages Taskforce in preparing its report to the Government in July 2008. The report has been made available to the public and includes the findings and recommendations of the Taskforce.
(o) Refer to answer for (a) - (e).
(p) Not applicable.
(q) The Government has no further policy commitments in relation to the issue of 'stolen wages' in Western Australia.
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