Trump signs order lifting US sanctions on Syria
Donald Trump has signed an executive order terminating a US sanctions program on Syria, allowing an end to the country's isolation from the international financial system and building on Washington's pledge to help it rebuild after a devastating civil war.
The US will maintain sanctions on Syria's ousted former president Bashar al-Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, people linked to chemical weapons activities, the Islamic State and ISIS affiliates and proxies for Iran, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in a briefing on Monday.
Assad was toppled in December in a lightning offensive by Islamist-led rebels and Syria has since taken steps to re-establish international ties.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said the US president's termination of the Syria sanctions program would "open door of long-awaited reconstruction and development", according to a post by the foreign minister on social media platform X.
The move would "lift the obstacle" against economic recovery and open the country to the international community, he said.
Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Trump met in Riyadh in May where, in a major policy shift, Trump unexpectedly announced he would lift US sanctions on Syria, prompting Washington to significantly ease its measures.
Some in Congress are pushing for the measures to be totally repealed, while Europe has announced the end of its economic sanctions regime.
"Syria needs to be given a chance, and that's what's happened," US Special Envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack told reporters in a briefing call.
He described Monday's move as "the culmination of a very tedious, detailed, excruciating process of, how do you unwrap these sanctions".
The White House said the order directs the Secretary of State to review the terrorism designations of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a rebel group that Sharaa led that has roots in al-Qaeda, as well as Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The White House said the administration would continue to monitor Syria's progress on key priorities including "taking concrete steps toward normalising ties with Israel, addressing foreign terrorists, deporting Palestinian terrorists and banning Palestinian terrorist groups".
A Reuters investigation published on Monday revealed the role of Syrian government forces in the killing of more than 1500 Syrian Alawites over three days of massacres along the country's Mediterranean coast in March. The Trump administration had no comment on the Reuters report.
It was not immediately clear if Washington was lifting the sanctions on any of the factions that Reuters found were involved.
Syrians hope the easing of sanctions will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in the country, encouraging foreign investment and trade as it rebuilds.
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Perth Now
34 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Ukrainian drone hits plant deep inside Russia
A Ukrainian drone has struck a Russian industrial plant some 1300km from Ukraine, a local official says, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy prioritised the weapon's development and Russia pounded Ukraine with a monthly record of drones in June. Both sides in the more than three-year war following Russia's February 2022 invasion of its neighbour have raced to improve drone technology and enhance their use on the battlefield. They have deployed increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones, turning the war into a testing ground for the new weaponry. Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the 1000km front line, but analysts say its defences are largely holding firm. With recent direct peace talks delivering no progress on US-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are bulking up their arsenals. Russia launched 5438 drones at Ukraine in June, a monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone hit an industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 1000km east of Moscow, injuring several people and starting a fire, Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurtia region, said. The plant's workers were evacuated, he said. The drone struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, which produces air defence systems and drones for the Russian military, according to an official with Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU. At least two direct hits were recorded on the plant's buildings, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly. Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory. In May 2024, a Ukrainian drone hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1800km from the Ukrainian border, Kyiv officials claimed. Zelenskiy said Ukraine's domestic production of drones was about to increase in response to Russia's expanded barrages. "The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones," he said on Telegram late on Monday. "This is extremely important," he said. "Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities, Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures." Russia's defence ministry said 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region. At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzia during the night, leaving more than 1600 households without power, according to authorities. US President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired lieutenant general Keith Kellogg, rebuked Russia for continuing to strike civilian areas of Ukraine while effectively rejecting a ceasefire and dragging its feet on a peace settlement. "We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war," Kellogg said on the social platform X late Monday. "Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine." Ukraine is developing its own defence industry as uncertainty remains over whether the Trump administration will continue to provide crucial military aid. Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany's Kiel Institute, which tracks such support. Europe its support and for the first time since June 2022 surpassed the US in total military aid, totalling 72 billion euros ($A129 billion) compared with 65 billion euros from the US, the institute said in June.
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Hundreds spoke their truths on impact of colonisation
WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations WHAT WAS THE YOORROOK JUSTICE COMMISSION? * Victoria's Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry, the first of its kind in Australia * Led by five commissioners, of whom four are Aboriginal * Established with royal commission powers * Independent of the Victorian government and the elected First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the body tasked with leading statewide treaty talks * Yoo-rrook means "truth" in the Wemba Wemba/Wamba Wamba language WHAT WAS ITS PURPOSE? * Create an official record of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people in Victoria * Support the treaty-making process, including through recommendations for reform HOW DID IT COME ABOUT? * The Victorian Labor government committed to a truth and justice process in July 2020 * The commission and its mandate was unveiled in March 2021 * It officially launched in March 2022 following COVID-19 lockdown-related delays * The government granted a 12-month extension for its work to the end of June 2025 WHO APPEARED AT YOORROOK? * Public hearings began in April 2022 and lasted 67 days in total * Aboriginal elders such as Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Johnny Lovett, Aunty Alma Thorpe and Aunty Eva Jo Edwards were among more than 200 witnesses * Premier Jacinta Allan and other government ministers also gave evidence * Then Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton apologised for police treatment of Indigenous people * The commission also received more than 1300 submissions and 10,000 documents from the state WHAT ARE ITS FINAL REPORTS? * Yoorrook for Transformation - Yoorrook's third and final report containing 100 recommendations over five volumes * Yoorrook Truth Be Told - a official public record that includes a detailed account of the history of Victoria since the start of colonisation and story of the commission WHAT ARE ITS KEY FINAL RECCOMENDATIONS? * The government must fund the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria to set up a permanent truth-telling group to keep collecting stories and build a public record * Decision-making powers, authority, control and resources must be transferred to First Peoples to give full effect to self-determination * The government must shift prison healthcare from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health * The government must provide redress for injustices caused by the colonial invasion and occupation of First Peoples' lands, as well as damage and loss WERE THERE ANY CONTROVERSIES? * Three commissioners quit within the space of six months in 2022, and another resigned in 2023 * Commission chair Eleanor Bourke slammed the government in 2023 for delays in producing documents * Only four of Yoorrook's 46 recommendations from an interim report on Victoria's child protection and criminal justice systems were accepted by the government in full. Twenty-four were accepted in principle and three rejected outright * Yoorrook later said it was "beyond disappointed" with the government's inaction * Three of the five commissioners did not endorse the inclusion of the key findings in the Truth Be Told report HOW HAS THE GOVERNMENT RESPONDED TO THE FINAL REPORTS? * It has acknowledged the final reports and will "carefully consider" its response to the findings and recommendations
The Advertiser
an hour ago
- The Advertiser
Truth-telling inquiry splits on final report findings
An internal rift has overshadowed the landmark release of final reports from Australia's first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports were tabled in Victorian parliament on Tuesday afternoon, in a potential watershed moment for improving Aboriginal people's lives across the state. The documents include a final report with 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation. The official public record features a disclaimer that three of the five commissioners - adjunct professor Sue-Anne Hunter, distinguished professor Maggie Walter and former Federal Court judge Anthony North - "did not approve of the inclusion of the key findings in the final report". "Yoorrook's key findings draw from the conclusions presented in the commission's existing reports," the 454-page document reads. "But (they) are limited in number in order to highlight the key events in Victoria's colonial history that underpin the systemic injustice facing First Peoples in Victoria today." The disunity is a blow to the official public record, which has been discussed as a possible teaching resource in state schools as part of ongoing treaty negotiations. None of the trio participated in deputy chair Travis Lovett's "Walk for Truth", a 500km journey from Portland in the state's west to the steps of parliament house that wrapped up on June 18. Some of the public record's key findings are: * Land now known as Victoria was not "discovered" by the British Crown or "founded" by settlers * The sovereignty of Victoria's First Peoples was never ceded and continues to exist * The initial occupation was illegal, rapid and largely uncontrolled * The taking of Country and resources was violent * Laws and policies of the British and colonial governments were used to authorise the confiscation, theft, use and damage of lands and waters * None of the wealth generated from the land and waters of First Peoples since colonisation has been directly shared with Traditional Owners * Colonisation is not only a historic event and continues to affect First Peoples in Victoria to this day * First Peoples in Victoria have a fundamental right to self-determination * Treaty is the best pathway to self-determination and must include redress for the harms suffered as a result of colonisation * Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and a guarantee of non-repetition are options for redress Commission chair Eleanor Bourke, who worked in the public service and education sectors for decades, said she had lived through many of the policies described in the pages. "I know that change cannot be guaranteed," she wrote in her foreword. "However, First Peoples in Victoria now know that the truth of our history and our stories are on the public record." Yoorrook, which was given the powers of a royal commission when it was established in 2021, handed its final reports to Governor Margaret Gardner on June 25. The commission held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. Its 148 recommendations will inform treaty talks between the Victorian government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would carefully consider the final findings and recommendations. "Victoria's truth-telling process is a historic opportunity to hear the stories of our past that have been buried - these are stories that all Victorians need to hear," she said. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the suggested reforms laid out a bold path to create a better future for Aboriginal people. "Truth and treaty go hand-in-hand," the Gunditjmara man said. "Victorians know that we can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results." A statewide treaty agreement that includes making the assembly a permanent Indigenous voice to state parliament is nearing competition. Treaty legislation is expected to be introduced to Victorian parliament later in 2025. The state Labor government needs the support of up to six upper house crossbenchers for the bill to pass, with the coalition opposed to a treaty and state-based voice to parliament. An internal rift has overshadowed the landmark release of final reports from Australia's first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports were tabled in Victorian parliament on Tuesday afternoon, in a potential watershed moment for improving Aboriginal people's lives across the state. The documents include a final report with 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation. The official public record features a disclaimer that three of the five commissioners - adjunct professor Sue-Anne Hunter, distinguished professor Maggie Walter and former Federal Court judge Anthony North - "did not approve of the inclusion of the key findings in the final report". "Yoorrook's key findings draw from the conclusions presented in the commission's existing reports," the 454-page document reads. "But (they) are limited in number in order to highlight the key events in Victoria's colonial history that underpin the systemic injustice facing First Peoples in Victoria today." The disunity is a blow to the official public record, which has been discussed as a possible teaching resource in state schools as part of ongoing treaty negotiations. None of the trio participated in deputy chair Travis Lovett's "Walk for Truth", a 500km journey from Portland in the state's west to the steps of parliament house that wrapped up on June 18. Some of the public record's key findings are: * Land now known as Victoria was not "discovered" by the British Crown or "founded" by settlers * The sovereignty of Victoria's First Peoples was never ceded and continues to exist * The initial occupation was illegal, rapid and largely uncontrolled * The taking of Country and resources was violent * Laws and policies of the British and colonial governments were used to authorise the confiscation, theft, use and damage of lands and waters * None of the wealth generated from the land and waters of First Peoples since colonisation has been directly shared with Traditional Owners * Colonisation is not only a historic event and continues to affect First Peoples in Victoria to this day * First Peoples in Victoria have a fundamental right to self-determination * Treaty is the best pathway to self-determination and must include redress for the harms suffered as a result of colonisation * Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and a guarantee of non-repetition are options for redress Commission chair Eleanor Bourke, who worked in the public service and education sectors for decades, said she had lived through many of the policies described in the pages. "I know that change cannot be guaranteed," she wrote in her foreword. "However, First Peoples in Victoria now know that the truth of our history and our stories are on the public record." Yoorrook, which was given the powers of a royal commission when it was established in 2021, handed its final reports to Governor Margaret Gardner on June 25. The commission held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. Its 148 recommendations will inform treaty talks between the Victorian government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would carefully consider the final findings and recommendations. "Victoria's truth-telling process is a historic opportunity to hear the stories of our past that have been buried - these are stories that all Victorians need to hear," she said. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the suggested reforms laid out a bold path to create a better future for Aboriginal people. "Truth and treaty go hand-in-hand," the Gunditjmara man said. "Victorians know that we can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results." A statewide treaty agreement that includes making the assembly a permanent Indigenous voice to state parliament is nearing competition. Treaty legislation is expected to be introduced to Victorian parliament later in 2025. The state Labor government needs the support of up to six upper house crossbenchers for the bill to pass, with the coalition opposed to a treaty and state-based voice to parliament. An internal rift has overshadowed the landmark release of final reports from Australia's first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports were tabled in Victorian parliament on Tuesday afternoon, in a potential watershed moment for improving Aboriginal people's lives across the state. The documents include a final report with 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation. The official public record features a disclaimer that three of the five commissioners - adjunct professor Sue-Anne Hunter, distinguished professor Maggie Walter and former Federal Court judge Anthony North - "did not approve of the inclusion of the key findings in the final report". "Yoorrook's key findings draw from the conclusions presented in the commission's existing reports," the 454-page document reads. "But (they) are limited in number in order to highlight the key events in Victoria's colonial history that underpin the systemic injustice facing First Peoples in Victoria today." The disunity is a blow to the official public record, which has been discussed as a possible teaching resource in state schools as part of ongoing treaty negotiations. None of the trio participated in deputy chair Travis Lovett's "Walk for Truth", a 500km journey from Portland in the state's west to the steps of parliament house that wrapped up on June 18. Some of the public record's key findings are: * Land now known as Victoria was not "discovered" by the British Crown or "founded" by settlers * The sovereignty of Victoria's First Peoples was never ceded and continues to exist * The initial occupation was illegal, rapid and largely uncontrolled * The taking of Country and resources was violent * Laws and policies of the British and colonial governments were used to authorise the confiscation, theft, use and damage of lands and waters * None of the wealth generated from the land and waters of First Peoples since colonisation has been directly shared with Traditional Owners * Colonisation is not only a historic event and continues to affect First Peoples in Victoria to this day * First Peoples in Victoria have a fundamental right to self-determination * Treaty is the best pathway to self-determination and must include redress for the harms suffered as a result of colonisation * Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and a guarantee of non-repetition are options for redress Commission chair Eleanor Bourke, who worked in the public service and education sectors for decades, said she had lived through many of the policies described in the pages. "I know that change cannot be guaranteed," she wrote in her foreword. "However, First Peoples in Victoria now know that the truth of our history and our stories are on the public record." Yoorrook, which was given the powers of a royal commission when it was established in 2021, handed its final reports to Governor Margaret Gardner on June 25. The commission held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. Its 148 recommendations will inform treaty talks between the Victorian government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would carefully consider the final findings and recommendations. "Victoria's truth-telling process is a historic opportunity to hear the stories of our past that have been buried - these are stories that all Victorians need to hear," she said. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the suggested reforms laid out a bold path to create a better future for Aboriginal people. "Truth and treaty go hand-in-hand," the Gunditjmara man said. "Victorians know that we can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results." A statewide treaty agreement that includes making the assembly a permanent Indigenous voice to state parliament is nearing competition. Treaty legislation is expected to be introduced to Victorian parliament later in 2025. The state Labor government needs the support of up to six upper house crossbenchers for the bill to pass, with the coalition opposed to a treaty and state-based voice to parliament. An internal rift has overshadowed the landmark release of final reports from Australia's first Indigenous-led truth-telling inquiry. The Yoorrook Justice Commission's final reports were tabled in Victorian parliament on Tuesday afternoon, in a potential watershed moment for improving Aboriginal people's lives across the state. The documents include a final report with 100 recommendations across five volumes and an official public record of Victoria's history since colonisation. The official public record features a disclaimer that three of the five commissioners - adjunct professor Sue-Anne Hunter, distinguished professor Maggie Walter and former Federal Court judge Anthony North - "did not approve of the inclusion of the key findings in the final report". "Yoorrook's key findings draw from the conclusions presented in the commission's existing reports," the 454-page document reads. "But (they) are limited in number in order to highlight the key events in Victoria's colonial history that underpin the systemic injustice facing First Peoples in Victoria today." The disunity is a blow to the official public record, which has been discussed as a possible teaching resource in state schools as part of ongoing treaty negotiations. None of the trio participated in deputy chair Travis Lovett's "Walk for Truth", a 500km journey from Portland in the state's west to the steps of parliament house that wrapped up on June 18. Some of the public record's key findings are: * Land now known as Victoria was not "discovered" by the British Crown or "founded" by settlers * The sovereignty of Victoria's First Peoples was never ceded and continues to exist * The initial occupation was illegal, rapid and largely uncontrolled * The taking of Country and resources was violent * Laws and policies of the British and colonial governments were used to authorise the confiscation, theft, use and damage of lands and waters * None of the wealth generated from the land and waters of First Peoples since colonisation has been directly shared with Traditional Owners * Colonisation is not only a historic event and continues to affect First Peoples in Victoria to this day * First Peoples in Victoria have a fundamental right to self-determination * Treaty is the best pathway to self-determination and must include redress for the harms suffered as a result of colonisation * Restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and a guarantee of non-repetition are options for redress Commission chair Eleanor Bourke, who worked in the public service and education sectors for decades, said she had lived through many of the policies described in the pages. "I know that change cannot be guaranteed," she wrote in her foreword. "However, First Peoples in Victoria now know that the truth of our history and our stories are on the public record." Yoorrook, which was given the powers of a royal commission when it was established in 2021, handed its final reports to Governor Margaret Gardner on June 25. The commission held 67 days of public hearings, gathering the testimony of Stolen Generations survivors, elders, historians, experts and non-Indigenous advocates. Its 148 recommendations will inform treaty talks between the Victorian government and the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. Premier Jacinta Allan said the government would carefully consider the final findings and recommendations. "Victoria's truth-telling process is a historic opportunity to hear the stories of our past that have been buried - these are stories that all Victorians need to hear," she said. Assembly co-chair Rueben Berg said the suggested reforms laid out a bold path to create a better future for Aboriginal people. "Truth and treaty go hand-in-hand," the Gunditjmara man said. "Victorians know that we can't keep doing the same thing and expecting different results." A statewide treaty agreement that includes making the assembly a permanent Indigenous voice to state parliament is nearing competition. Treaty legislation is expected to be introduced to Victorian parliament later in 2025. The state Labor government needs the support of up to six upper house crossbenchers for the bill to pass, with the coalition opposed to a treaty and state-based voice to parliament.
