The South Australian Ombudsman, Wayne Lines has joined other Australian Information Access Commissioners and Privacy Authorities to mark National Sorry Day (26 May).
The Commissioners and Authorities signed a joint authoritative statement, Principles for nationally consistent approaches to accessing Stolen Generations records (26 May).
In signing the statement, Mr Lines (pictured) said the Australian Information Access Commissioners and Privacy Authorities recognised the important role of historical records in truth telling and sharing history, intergenerational healing, redress and reparations for Stolen Generation survivors and their families.
“The Healing Foundation’s Principles for nationally consistent approaches to accessing Stolen Generations records will inform ongoing discussions about greater national consistency,” Mr Lines said.
“We acknowledge that the Principles support implementation of recommendations about access to records from the Bringing Them Home (1997) and Make Healing Happen: It’s time to act (2021) reports,” he said.
“We are committed to working together with The Healing Foundation and stakeholders to champion timely, easy access to records through informal access schemes wherever possible, with formal access applications required only as a last resort.”
The joint statement was also signed by the Australian Information Commissioner, Angelene Falk; Australian Freedom of Information Commissioner, Leo Hardiman; Acting Director, State Records, Privacy Committee of South Australia, Stephanie Coleman; New South Wales Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd; New South Wales Privacy Commissioner, Samantha Gavel; Victorian Information Commissioner Sven Bluemmel; Victorian Privacy and Data Protection Deputy Commissioner, Rachel Dixon; Victorian Public Access Deputy Commissioner, Joanne Kummrow; Queensland Information Commissioner, Rachael Rangihaeata; Queensland Privacy Commissioner, Paxton Booth; Queensland Acting Right to Information Commissioners, Anna Rickard and Katie Shepherd; Western Australian Information Commissioner, Catherine Fletcher; Tasmanian Ombudsman, Richard Connock; Acting ACT Ombudsman, Penny McKay; Northern Territory Information Commissioner, Peter Shoyer; and Northern Territory Deputy Information Commissioner, Brenda Monaghan.
The one-page joint statement can be accessed at this PS News link.
