Stephen Kinnane is a Miriuwung academic and a researcher from the University of Notre Dame. Dr Kinnane’s grandmother was forced onto one of the largest government-run institutions in Western Australia – Moore River Native Settlement, where she had up to 75 percent of her wage or payment ‘managed’.
She is one of thousands of Aboriginal workers who had their money stolen under a form of slavery. It wasn’t only wages, but also child endowments, pensions and maternity payments. Earlier this year, ABC’s Background Briefing programme revealed the Barnett government had sat on a report recommending $71 million be paid out in compensation to Aboriginal people who had their payments withheld. They sat on it for 4 years before announcing a scheme which allocated $2000 individual payments, for in some cases, a lifetime of stolen wages. Many missed out because the requirements were too restrictive.
The Aboriginal Legal Service of WA is currently considering a class action.
We spoke to Dr Kinnane from Perth.
If you’d like more information – check out ABC’s Background Briefing.