On Monday, Scott Morrison announced a royal commission into veteran suicides the fourth royal commission set up under his prime ministership.
But while Morrison says he hopes this will be a “healing process” and it comes after sustained community lobbying, we know royal commissions don’t always fix problems.
Only last week, we marked 30 years since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Far from a celebration, much of the commentary about the anniversary has emphasised the lack of progress since the commission’s final report.
We have a long tradition of royal commissions in Australia dating back before federation. And their powers and capabilities for scrutinising evidence mean they can have an impact for decades to come. But royal commissions can also fail to generate policy change.
The Tragic History Of Australia s Ayers Rock Shutterstock
By Mina Nakatani/Jan. 20, 2021 4:52 pm EDT
Nestled in Australia s Northern Territory, right around the center of the continent, lies Ayers Rock, a towering monolith of red sandstone standing tall in the midst of a desert. It s an imposing and impressive sight, one which really does go to show the power and beauty of nature.
However, the rock formation is a lot more than a natural marvel. Ayers Rock has a pretty long history, and for much of that time, it was known solely as a monument of spiritual importance. But that wasn t meant to last. Parts of Ayers Rock s history the relatively recent parts, especially are tied up with injustices which, sadly, are common to not only other parts of Australia but other parts of the world.